Athel J Miller (1918 - 1943)

Born 10 Jan 1918 in San Bernardino, California, United States

Died 28 Jul 1943 at age 25 in North Sea, off Heligoland, Germany

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Killed in Action

2nd Lt. Athel Miller was Killed in Action during World War II.

2nd Lt. Athel Miller served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s): B-17 "Betty Boom" 42-3316
Service ended: KIA Jul 28, 1943

Biography

Second Lieutenant Athel Miller was born in San Bernardino, California in 1918 to Athel A. & Frances (Nolan) Miller. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on March 27, 1942, in March Fld, California. He listed himself as single, without dependents on his enlistment paperwork, meaning he likely never married or had any children. He had attended 3 years of college before the war. In the Air Corps, he served as a Bombardier on at least 1 B-17. The B-17 that he served on was B-17 Betty Boom AKA Big Stinky 42-3316. On July 28, 1943, The Betty Boom was flying in a mission to bomb Oschersleben, Germany, along with 25 other B-17s. Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter led a Group formation of 21 ships; five others from the Group went with a composite unit. The Group successfully completed their mission with 97% of all bombs falling within 1000 feet of their target. After the mission at 0910 hrs the outbound formation of bombers was intercepted by Fw190 fighters of II./JG 11 near the North Sea coast and after a 20 minute engagement claimed 12 B-17s. Luftwaffe pilot Unteroffizier Wilhelm Fest's rocket struck the navigator's compartment on the “Lady Susie II”, piloted by 1st Lt. William H Robbins and the aircraft lost control and collided with “Betty Boom” (42-3316) piloted by 2nd Lt. Wiliam Storr, and subsequently into the flight path of “Roundtrip Ticket” 42-30285 piloted by 2nd Lt. John H Noel Jr. All three aircraft went down into the North Sea west of Sylt, near the island of Helgoland (54°30'0"N / 7°45'0"E). The bodies of the 26 deceased crewmen from all three aircraft washed ashore along the coastline into weeks of late August. Four crewmen survived the crash and were captured as POWs.

Athel received a Purple Heart for his bravery in service to his country.

Athel's name is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in Margraten, Eijsden-Margraten Municipality, Limburg, Netherlands.

The 9 other men from B-17 Betty Boom AKA Big Stinky 42-3316 that died July 28, 1943, were;

1st Lt. William A Storr Pilot

2nd Lt. Robert P Blakely Co-Pilot

2nd Lt. Clinton A Weaver Navigator

TSGT Harry L McComb Top-Turret Gunner

SSGT James F McDonough Waist Gunner

SSGT James R Murphy Tail Gunner

TSGT Walter T Reep Radio Operator/ Gunner

SGT Joseph T Schipani Ball-Turret Gunner

SSGT Arthur J Spicas Waist Gunner

B-17 Betty Boom AKA Big Stinky 42-3316 was a part of the 385th Bomb Group, as well as the 548th Bomb Squadron.

The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9 October 1943, during which only two out of one hundred B-17s were lost and all of the buildings on the site were damaged or destroyed. They won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to all 4th Bomb Wing Groups, was for accurately dropping their pay load on an aircraft factory at Regensburg, on 17 August 1943 and the Group's second was awarded after leading a difficult long-range mission to destroy an aircraft repair works at Zwickau, south-west Germany, on 12 May 1944.

Athel participated in the following 3 missions as a Bombardier;

Mission No. 2 – 24 July – Target Bergen – 21 a/c flown.

The mission objective was to demolish submarine pens in Norway. Major Preston Piper led 21 Fortresses over the target, and again a thick overcast prevented dropping the bombs.

Athel was in The Betty Boom 42-3316 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 3 – 25 July – Target Warnemunde – 28 a/c flown. The mission objective was the fighter plant at Warnemunde, near Rostock – and not far from Berlin. .Led by Lt. Col. Vandevanter, the bombs were salvoed but Col. Vandevanter wasn’t entirely satisfied, because was sure that the intended targets hit. Overcast entirely obscured the target again. Despite some hellacious flak and fighter opposition, all returned safely..

Athel was in The Betty Boom 42-3316 that day and returned to base safely.

Mission No. 5 – 28 July – Target Oschersleben – 26 a/c flown.

Another hard day. Our target was Oschersleben. Colonel Vandeventer led our Group formation of 21 ships; five others from our Group went with a composite unit.

97% of all bombs fell within 1000 ft. of the target.

Gurgel, 42-30179, Grim Reaper, crashed in Germany, 4 KIA, 6 POW, MACR 189A. Outbound over the North Sea. Robbins in Lady Susie II, 42-30257, collided with Storr in Betty Boom, 42-3316, and Noel in Round Trip Ticket, 42-30285. MACR’s 189B, C, D. Robbins crashed into the North Sea killing all onboard.

Athel was in The Betty Boom 42-3316 that day and failed to return to base. This was his last mission.

Sources

• https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-3316

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/person/athel-j-miller

https://www.385thbga.com/records/database/

https://www.385thbga.com/records/index-mission-number-to-date-and-target-2/mission-summaries/

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56301844/athel-j-miller

https://www.honorstates.org/profiles/331249/

"California Birth Index, 1905-1995," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V256-41X : 13 December 2014), Athel J Miller, 10 Jan 1918; citing San Bernardino, California, United States, Department of Health Services, Vital Statistics Department, Sacramento.

"United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHW4-M8N : Thu Dec 07 19:38:20 UTC 2023), Entry for Athel A Miller and Frances N Miller, 1920.

"United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XC64-CXK : Thu Oct 05 16:11:17 UTC 2023), Entry for Athel Amos Miller and Fannie N Miller, 1930.

"United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K94Y-XBX : Tue Nov 28 08:10:08 UTC 2023), Entry for Athel A Miller and Fannie Miller, 1940.

"United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946," , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8GF-8Q4 : 5 December 2014), Athel J Miller, enlisted 27 Mar 1942, March Fld, Riverside, California, United States; citing "Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, ca. 1938-1946," database, The National Archives: Access to Archival Databases (AAD) (http://aad.archives.gov : National Archives and Records Administration, 2002); NARA NAID 1263923, National Archives at College Park, Maryland.