Frank Ignateous George Mattes was born on October 22, 1916 in the city of Seattle, King County, Washington to Joseph Mathesz/Mattes and Rosalia “Rose” Mattes, nee Walzer. Both parents were from the Austrian/Hungarian empire in an area that is now Serbia. Frank had two siblings, Joseph James Mattes, Jr. and Margaret C. Mattes. The family moved to Mount Vernon, Skagit County, Washington, where Joe Mattes, Sr. operated a tailor shop for over thirty years. Frank graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1933. He attended the University of Washington, where he played with the Husky Football team in their bid for the 1936 Rose Bowl championship.

In 1940, Frank lived in an apartment in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. He registered for the draft in Portland in 1940. He was 23 years old, 5’9” tall, and weighed 185 pounds. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a dark complexion. He worked as an insurance auditor for the General Insurance Company. He was inducted into the United States Army on June 24, 1941 in Portland. He was single, without dependents, and had a college education.

Lt. Frank G. Mattes earned his silver pilot wings at the Gulf Coast training center at Ellington Field, Texas in October 1942. He was stationed at Wendover Field in Utah in February 1943 before going overseas. He was assigned to the 545th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group, based at RAF Grafton Underwood in Northamptonshire, England. On August 17, 1943, Lt. Mattes was the pilot of B-17 Flying Fortress #42-3222, nicknamed “Deuces Wild.” According to Missing Air Crew Report #292, the target that day was the ball-bearing factories in Schweinfurt, Germany. The plane was shot down by enemy aircraft before reaching the target and crashed near Mannheim, Germany. Surviving crew members later stated they believed Lt. Mattes died after his parachute failed to open.

Two weeks before he was killed, Lt. Mattes was awarded the Air Medal for his completion of five successful missions over enemy territory.

Lt. Frank Mattes is buried in the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial, Saint-Avold, Lorraine, France (Plot G, Row 12, Grave 26). He was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project

(see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to

write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We

Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? These stories will be

accessible via smartphone app at any war memorial or cemetery.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have

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SBTSProject/Washington/Skagit County

Sources:

Findagrave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56658129/frank-george-mattes

American Battle Monuments Commission, 1914-1950, https://www.fold3.com/record/529899814/frank-g-mattes-us-american-battle-monuments-commission-1914-1950

WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualty List, 1946, https://www.fold3.com/sub-image/299430013/mattes-frank-g-us-wwii-army-and-army-air-force-casualty-list-1946

The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington), Fri, Oct 09, 1942 ·Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/768928843?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington), Fri,

Feb 26, 1943 ·Page 5, https://www.newspapers.com/image/768880689?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington), Mon,

Aug 30, 1943 ·Page 6, https://www.newspapers.com/image/768887266?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

The Bellingham Herald (Bellingham, Washington), Fri, Sep 03, 1943 ·Page 10, https://www.newspapers.com/image/768856361?utm_source=fold3.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=Fold3

1920 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/13619545:6061

1930 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/112550226:6224

1940 United States Federal Census, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/63655745:2442

384th Bomb Group Sortie Report, https://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/SortieReport.php?SortieKey=388

Naturalization Records, 1840-1957, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/6683569:1193

United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8BZ-T9D

Washington, U.S., Birth Records, 1907-1920, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/240659:6493

World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947, https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/36668530:2238

Frank George Mattes