Harold Eugene Flaugh, Sec. Lieut. (1945)

FLAUGH, SCHAKEL, WALTZ

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 5/8/2007 at 08:35:38

Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
May 9, 1945

Four Madison county residents are now listed as missing in action. They are Second Lieut. Harold Flaugh, ...
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Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
October 10, 1945

DEATH NOTICE ENDS MISSING STATUS OF LIEUTENANT FLAUGH

Memorial Services on Sunday From Methodist Church for Local Flyer

Another name was officially added to the list of Madison county's war dead this week when Second Lieut. Harold E. Flaugh of Winterset, who had been missing in action since Feb. 22, 1944, was officially listed as dead by the War department.

The notice was received by Lieutenant Flaugh's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tracy L. Flaugh of Winterset.

Lieutenant Flaugh was serving as a bombardier on a Liberator bomber based in England. His last raid was made Feb. 22, 1944, against the city of Gotha, Germany. Over Holland, the plane was attacked by German aircraft, and disappeared.

No more was heard from the flyer, but after the German surrender, several of his crew mates were liberated from a German prison camp. They disclosed that their plane had been shot down, and that most of the crew had jumped and survived. The last they had seen of Lieutenant Flaugh was when he was preparing to jump from the ship. He was not injured at that time.

It is presumed that either his parachute failed to open when he jumped, or he was killed by German's after landing, as he never turned up as a German prisoner.

The War department communication read, in part: "Since no information has been received which would support a presumption of his continued survival, the War department must now terminate your son's absence by a presumptive finding of death."

Lieutenant Flaugh was 26 years old at the time of his death. He was born Sept. 24, 1918, in Adair county near Orient, and spent his early life in that community. He graduated from the Orient high school, before moving with his parents to near Patterson, and later to Winterset. He was employed in farm work near here before being inducted in the U.S. army Feb. 7, 1941.

He transferred to the Army Air Forces on Oct. 16, 1942, and received his bombardier's wings and commission as a second lieutenant on May 13, 1943. He lfet for England on Jan. 1, 1944, and was on his second bombing mission against the Germans when his ship was shot down.

He is survived by his parents; two brothers, St. Sgt. Clyde Flaugh, a veteran of the North African and Italian campaigns, and Harry Lee Flaugh at home; two sisters, Mrs. Delores Schakel of Oelwein; and Mrs. Helen Waltz of Winterset.

Memorial services for Lieutenant Flaugh will be held next Sunday from the Winterset Methodist church at 2:30 p.m. in charge of the pastor, the Rev. W. A. Samp.
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Coordinator's note: The Winterset News of February 13, 1941 documents Harold's first day in the US Army as the first draftee to be taken from Madison County.

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