Carl H. (Herbie) Blichmann 1920-1944

BLICHMANN

Posted By: J. N. (email)
Date: 5/27/2008 at 22:56:04

Telegraph Herald Mar. 1944
SECOND SON OF WIDOW MISSING
“Herbie” Blichmann Lost in Bombing Expedition

Tragedy has struck for the second time within a month at the home of Mrs. Elsie Blichmann, 668 Nevada Street, in the form a War Department wire, received Friday evening, which notified her that her oldest son, Staff Sergeant Carl H. (Herbie) Blichmann, 24, United States Army Air Forces Flying Fortress ball turret gunner, is missing in action in the European area as a(sic) March 28.
In the middle of March, Mrs. Blichmann was informed that her second oldest boy, Sergeant C. C. Blichmann of the United States Army Infantry, was killed in action in Italy on Jan. 26.
Text of the War Department wire concerning the second casualty was as follows: “The Secretary of War desires to express his deep regret that your son, Staff Sergeant Carl H. Blichmann, has been reported missing in action since 28 March in the European area. Letter follows. Signed, Dunlop, acting adjutant general.

Enlisted in 1942
S-Sgt. Blichmann wnlisted in the Army Air Forces on Oct. 28, 1942. Early training at Goodfellow Field, Tex., preceded his attending mechanics’ school at Gulfport Field, Miss. From the latter air base, he was sent to gunnery school at Los Vegas, Nev., after which he was transferred to Seattle, Wahs., and then to Green Island, Neb. On Christmas Eve, the Dubuquer called (rest of article lost.)

Under photograph: Reported missing in action over the European area site March 28, Staff Sergeant Carl H. (Herbie) Blichmann, second from the right, standing, is shown with his Flying Fortress crew as a member of which he served as a ball turret gunner. The son of Mrs. Elsie L. Blichmann, 668 Nevada Street, Blichmann arrived “Somewhere in England” in January. His brother, Sgt. Carl C. Blichmann, was killed in action in Italy on Jan. 26.

Telegraph Herald, date not known.

NEWS OF DEATH MADE OFFICIAL
Staff Sgt. Blichmann Was Killed in Action

Saff Sergeant C. H. (Herbie) Blichmann, son of Mrs. Elsie L. Blichmann, 876 Yale court, formerly listed as presumably dead by the War Department, has now bee officially declared killed in action on March 28, 1944 in France, according to word recently received by Mrs. Blichmann.
A gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress, Sgt. Blichmann was operating from an American air base in England at the time of his death. He enlisted in the army air forces Oct. 28, 1942, and received his basic training at Goodfellow field, Tex., and gunnery training at Gulfport field, Miss.
Text of the War Department letter was as follows: “Information obtained from captured German records reveals that Sgt. Blichmann is dead. In view of this information and the fact that all of the other crew members have been accounted of survival, it is only logical to conclude that your son was killed in action on March 28, 1944 south of Chateaudun, France.”