1st Lieutenant Ralph William Bayer, Jr (#O-719845) was born in 1919 to Ralph and Grace Bayer in Aberdeen, Washington. He enlisted on 5 June 1942 at McChord Airfield, Washington as a private. He was married to Sylvia Toyra on 29 June 1940 in Gray Harbor, Washington.

He arrived in England in August 1944 and flew less than 20 missions. He was originally a part of Gerald Brown “Browns Clowns” crew.

After enlisting in the Army Air Corps, he eventually ended up as part of 351th Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomber Group, Heavy. which was assigned to Thorpe Abbotts Field, England. On 10 January 1945, Flying B-17 #42-37936, nicknamed “The All American Girl”, the crew was on a mission to Cologne. They were hit by flak and it is unclear whether they crashed near Gladbach, 7 miles east-southeast of Dueren, Germany or into the North Sea.

They are commemorated on the “Wall of the Missing” at Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial in Coton, South Cambridge shire District, Cambridge shire, England.

The crew:

Dodrill, John J, 2nd Lieutenant, Pilot, CA

Williams, David Shepard, 2nd Lieutenant, Copilot, OR

Bayer, Ralph William, 1st Lieutenant, Navigator, WA – replacement for John D Gross

Pitman, David Warren, Sergeant, Bombardier, MA – replacement for Melvin D Snyder

Bennett, George Raymond, Staff Sergeant, Radio Operator/Gunner, TN

Mitchell, Harry E, Staff Sergeant, Top Turret Gunner/Eng, SC

Warner, Myron Eugene, Sergeant, Ball Turret Gunner, KS

Joseph, Garland Lee, Sergeant, Waist Gunner, IL

Toll, Roy Everett, Sergeant, Tail Gunner, OR

Ralph W Bayer