Albert Lewis Schlegel Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOURAlbert Schlegel was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1919. Lacking the two college certificates required by the US Army Air Corp, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), flight training was in Ontario, Canada, final service training taking place in England at an RAF Operational training Unit (OTU) on Hurricanes. By the time of his transfer to the US Army Air Force in January 1943 he had logged 249.3 flying hours and was a Flight Sgt. Upon transfer he gained the rank of Flight Officer. He was stationed at Debden and flew Spitfires until they were replaced by P-47 Thunderbolts in March 1943. He was assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group and was promoted to First Lieutenant.
His first victory occurred on 2 October 1943, an Me-109. In March 1944 the group switched to P-51 Mustangs and Schlegel became a Flight Leader. His activities picked up, and he began to have victories to the extent that he became an "Ace" on 22 April 1944, and two days later he added two more 109s and shared a third.
Now a Captain, he went on leave to the United States. When he returned he became the 335th's Squadron Operations Officer, an office he held for only ten days. On 28 August 1944, he was shot down by flak, baled out, captured, interrogated at Valmy train station, subsequently executed by the enemy. Killed in Action (KIA). He had scored 13.5 confirmed [8.5 Air] [5 Ground] and 2.5 probables.
Awards: DFC [4 OLC], AM [3 OLC], PH.
His name is on the Tablets of the Missing at Lorraine American Cemetery. In January 2016, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed the remains of an Unknown Soldier buried in Plot B Row 5 Grave 66 at Epinal American Cemetery with the belief that an identification could be made. Laboratory analysis and circumstantial evidence were used to positively identify the remains as belonging to Capt. Albert L. Schlegel.
His name remains permanently inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing. When an individual’s remains have been accounted for by the U.S. Department of Defense, a rosette is placed next to the name on the Wall/Tablet/Court of the Missing to mark that the person now rests in a known gravesite.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
Missions
- Date: 28 August 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Epinal American Cemetery
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Lorraine American Cemetery, St Avold, France
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
20 August 1919 | Son of Albert Lewis Sr and Lillian Olive [Honsberg] Schlegel. | |
Enlisted |
3 March 1941 | Joined Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF, 3-Mar-41. Aircraftsman 2nd Class. | |
Other Service flight training |
24 March 1941 | Ground and primary flight training RCAF Air Station, Goderich, Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron. | |
Other Graduated [pilot] / Promotion |
23 October 1941 | Awarded wings when he graduated on 23-Oct-41, as Sgt pilot. | |
Other Overseas deployment to ETO |
23 November 1941 | Deployed to England, 23-Nov-41. Posted to the Bournemouth Personnel Reception Centre. | |
Other Operational service training |
7 December 1941 | Posted to an RAF Operational Training Unit (OTU). | |
Other Wounded in crash / Hospitalised |
8 February 1942 | Wounded in accident in Lorry with ran into a bomb crater. Suffered broken right leg and foot, facial injuries, a concussion. Hospitalised. 8-Feb-42. | |
Other OTU training |
7 October 1942 - 29 December 1942 | Resumed OTU training on 7-Oct-42 completing it on 29-Dec-42. | |
Other Promotion |
29 December 1942 | Commissioned Flight Officer 29-Dec-42. | |
Other Transferred USAAF / Promoted F/O |
25 January 1943 | Transferred USAAF Jan-43. Promoted to Flight Officer. | |
Other Honourably discharged RCAF |
25 January 1943 | Honourably discharged from the RCAF 25-Jan-43. 249.30 flying hours mostly in Hurricanes. | |
Based |
3 July 1943 - 28 August 1944 | Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. | |
Other E/A destroyed |
2 October 1943 | Me109 destroyed. | |
Other Promotion |
28 January 1944 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. | |
Other Crashed |
4 March 1944 | Landing Accident Gear collapsed Debden/Sta 356 Cat 3 damage Capt Albert L Schlegel, 4-Mar-44. P-51B 43-6770 - 335FS 4FG 8AF. | |
Other Flight Leader |
5 March 1944 | Flight Leader 335FS, 4FG, 8AF. | |
Other E/A destroyed |
21 March 1944 | He111 destroyed. South of Saintes. | |
Other E/A destroyed [2], shared [1], damaged [1] |
8 April 1944 | 1 x Fw190 destroyed, 1 x Fw190 shared, 1 x Me109 shared, 1 x Fw190 damaged [ground], Brunswick, Germany. Also train Loco damaged. | |
Other E/A destroyed [2] |
22 April 1944 | 2 x Me109 destroyed. Kassel, Germany. | |
Other E/A destroyed [2], shared [1] |
24 April 1944 | 2 x Fw190 destroyed. 1 x Fw190 shared. Worms, Germany. | |
Other Promotion |
28 April 1944 | Promoted to Captain. | |
Died |
28 August 1944 | Shot down by flak, baled out in vicinity of Valmy, executed by enemy. Killed In Action (KIA). 28-Aug-44. MACR 8299. | |
Buried |
28 August 1944 | Unmarked grave, near train station, Valmy, France. | |
Buried |
18 November 1944 | Interred unknown as X-73 American Cemetery Champigueul | |
Buried |
6 December 1948 | Re-Interred unknown as X-73 Epinal American Cemetery and Memorial. | |
Buried |
30 March 2017 | Post Identification Returned home and buried at Beaufort VA National Cemetery. | |
Buried |
Tablets of the Missing Lorraine American Cemetery | ||
Other Flight training |
Single engine fighter training at Alymer, Ontario. | ||
Other Returned to flight status |
Returned to flight status in September 1942. | ||
Other Transitional training |
3 July 1943 | Transitioned to USAAF fighters, Spitfires, P-39's and laterly P-47's. | |
Other Promotion |
Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. |
Revisions
Per the photo, he is wearing one bronze star on the EAME Campaign Medal. His Flight Officer number is verified through NARA files.
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Schlegel&Subm…
MACR 8299 - https://www.fold3.com/image/28688208
http://www.cieldegloire.com/fg_004.php
http://www.cieldegloire.com/014_schlegel_a_l.php
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/4-schlegel-8a…
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/4-schlegel-22…
http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/4-schlegel-24…
Perry R Nuhn Colonel [Retd] USAF nephew of Albert L Shlegel via email
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbmpilot.asp?Pilot=Schlegel&Subm…
MACR 8299 - https://www.fold3.com/image/28688208
Perry R Nuhn Colonel [Retd] USAF nephew of Albert L Shlegel via email
Perry R Nuhn Colonel [Retd] USAF nephew of Albert L Shlegel via email
Nick name was furnished with photo from 4th Fighter Group Association. Details of their file below.
I am a nephew of Schlegel and was writing article for the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum, Pooler, GA. when I received two photos from them, nether of which you have in your files.
Regards, Perry R. Nuhn. Colonel USAF (ret) - [email protected]
4th Fighter Group Association details
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Rank: Captain
MOS: 1055 - Pilot, single engine fighter
Unit: 335th Fighter Squadron
Aircraft:
P-47D -1-RE 42-7879 WD-O
P-51B-7-NA 43-6770 WD-O
P-51B-10-NA 42-106464 WD-O
P-51D-10-NA 44-14066 WD-O
4th Service: 3 July 1943 — 28 August 1944
AUG 43 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
28 JAN 44 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant
5 MAR 44 Designated Flight Commander B Flight (PD)
28 APR 44 Promoted to Captain
1 MAY 44 Designated squadron Asst Operations officer
18 AUG 44 Designated squadron Operations officer (PD)
28 AUG 44 Struck by flak while strafing targets NW of Strasbourg, France. KIA (MACR 8299)
Victories:
13.5 (8.5 air / 5 ground)
Highlights:
8 APR 44 - 1 FW-190, 2 ME-109’s (shared)
22 APR 44 - 2 ME-109G’s
24 APR 44 - 2 FW-190’s, 1 FW-190 (shared)
Decorations
Distinguished Flying Cross (4 OLC), Air Medal (3 OLC), Presidential Unit Citation.
SCHLEGEL, Albert L.
“Smiley”
B: 20 August 1919 Cleveland, OH
D: 28 August 1944 near Strasbourg, FR
Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th fighter Group' by Frank Speer.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8299 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list