SOWLES, SSgt. Edwin E., WWII

SOWLES, CROSBY

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/11/2013 at 14:49:46

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, July 21, 1943, Page 16

KHAKI AND BLUE

Sgt. Edwin E. SOWLES, son of Mrs. Mary SOWLES, 316 Taylor avenue northwest, was graduated Monday from the army air forces flexible gunnery school at Fort Meyers, Fla. He is also a graduate of the army school of aircraft mechanics at Lincoln, Neb. Sergeant SOWLES has been in the army for eight months. In civilian life he was employed by the Globe-Gazette.

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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, December 15, 1943, Page 12

Promoted to Staff Sgt.

Edwin E. SOWLES, son of Mrs. Mary SOWLES, 316 Taylor N. W., now stationed at Tonopah, Nev., has been promoted to the rank of staff sergeant. Sergeant SOWLES entered the service in Nov., 1942, and took his basic training at Fresno, Cal., air base. He then went to the Lincoln, Nebr., air base for technical training. Later he attended aerial gunnery school at Fort Myers, Fla., where he received his silver wings in July. He took further training at Wendover field, Wendover, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, becoming 1st engineer at the latter place.

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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Tuesday, March 28, 1944, Page 11

STAFF SGT. EDWIN E. SOWLES MISSING OVER GERMANY

Was Gunner Engineer on Liberator Bomber;
Overseas in February

Staff Sgt. Edwin E. SOWLES, son of Mrs. Mary SOWLES, 316 Taylor N. W., has been missing in action over Germany since March 6, according to a telegram received by his mother from the war department Saturday.

Staff Sgt. SOWLES was engineer gunner on a liberator bomber and had been overseas since about the first part of February. He entered the service in November, 1942, and took his basic training at the Fresno, Cal., air base, later going to the Lincoln, Nebr., air base for technical training.

In July last year he received his silver wings after completing a course in aerial gunnery school at Fort Meyers, Fla. After further training at Wendover field, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, he was given the position of first gunner.

SOWLES was at one time a paper carrier for the Globe-Gazette and had been employed at Austin, Minn., before entering the service.

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The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Friday, September 07, 1945, Page 1

SGT. EDWIN SOWLES DECLARED DEAD AFTER "MISSING" 1 YEAR

Detail Given on How His Plane Went Down in Germany

S/Sgt. Edwin E. SOWLES, son of Mrs. Mary SOWLES, 35 Taylor N. W., has been officially recorded to have met his death following more than a year's missing in action on a mission over Berlin, Germany, according to word received here from the war department.

The date set for the presumptive finding of his death is Sept. 3.

"Information in the hands of the war department indicates that your son was a member of the crew in a B-24 Liberator aircraft which departed England on a combat mission to Berlin, Germany, March 6, 1944," the letter from the adjutant general's office stated.

"His ship was attacked by German aircraft and one of the engines was hit. They were returning to England on 3 engines but were losing altitude and as they neared the North sea, the pilot gave the order to prepare for a water landing. Almost immediately, however, a 2nd engine failed and the ship went into a spin and is known to have crashed north of Amsterdam, Holland. It has been reported that your son took the pilot's position in a last brave effort to land the plane."

Edwin was born on Aug. 8, 1922, son of Charles B. and Mary F. SOWLES. He spent his entire life in Mason City except for 3 years in Ventura and Austin, Minn. He finished high school at Ventura and was employed in Austin at the time of his induction in 1942.

Besides his mother he is survived by a sister, Dorothy, his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. H. F. CROSBY, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his father in 1928.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2013

Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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