S/Sgt. Alexander Justus Jr. was born in Maywood, Illinois, on February 16, 1918, to Alexander Justus Sr. and Lydia Schaefer-Justus and had three sisters. One sister, died at three years old. His family resided at 119 South Fourteenth Avenue, Maywood, and he graduated from Saint Paul Lutheran School, Melrose Park, and Proviso Township High School in 1936. He then attended the University of Illinois, but left after one year and went to work as a helper on a beer truck for Midwest Beverage Company, Forest Park. When the Selective Service Act became law on October 16, 1940, he registered for the draft and named his father as his contact person.
On February 23, 1942, he enlisted in the US Army at Camp Grant, Illinois, outside of Rockford, and was given the serial number 36 321 198. From there he was sent to Sheppard Field, Texas. In July, he was sent to Lindbergh Field, San Diego, California, for technical training. Next, in August, he was at Salt Lake City Airfield, Utah and Las Vegas Airfield, Nevada. Then, in January 1943, he went to Pueblo Army Airfield, Colorado. In April 1943, he was at Salina Airfield, Kansas, and moved to Presque Isle, Maine, for deployment to England.
During this time in a letter home that Alex wrote the week of March 25, 1943, he told his parents that his b-17 had an uneventful takeoff from Baton Rouge Army Airfield and that most of the crew was napping when one to planes engines developed problems and the plane began to lose altitude. Alex and another crew member threw clothes and other equipment out the plane’s waist gun windows. Two other men took the jerry cans holding the extra fuel and dumped them out the bomb bay all to lighten the plane’s load. The plane still continued to lose altitude so the crew was ordered to bail out.
In the letter he stated that he was the second man out of the plane, and the first time in pulled his rip chord nothing happened. The second time he pulled it, his chute opened. All the men jumped from the plane with some from the plane’s door while others used the bomb bay. Alex and the plane’s co-pilot were close enough during the descent that they had a conversation. When he landed, he ended up about 20 feet above the ground in a tree. Another man ended up 60 feet above the ground stuck in the branches of a tree. A third man also was entangled in a tree. All three cut themselves loose and shimmed down the trucks. The plane crashed and burned about four miles from where the crew landed.
Once on the ground, the crew had to hack their way through the brush using the jungle knives that were in their emergency packs. They crossed creeks, waded through streams attempting to use their compasses to find their way to the Mississippi River. They came to a road. They then searched for their personnel gear that they had thrown from the plane and found most of it. The only injury was one crew member sprained his ankle.
Alex’s plane may have been on its way to Sheppard Field, Texas which was where he was the stationed as a member of the 331st Bomb Squadron. The unit left the United States in April 1943 with the last elements arriving in England in early May. In England, the 331st was organized at Bassingbourn Airfield before it was moved to Earls Colne Airfield in May. On June 12th, it was ordered to Bury Airfield, Saint Edmunds, England. The next day, the 13th, the 331st, which was now part of 94th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, and had the call sign was “Agmer” went on its first mission.
The 331st’s target was the U-boat yard in Kiel, Germany. During the raid the attack by the Luftwaffe was heavy and the 331st lost 20 planes. One of the planes that was lost was Alex’s plane 42-29822. Information is scant, but his plane was attacked by German fighters resulting in the loss of two of the plane’s engines. It appears the plane was still flying attempting to reach England. It was reported by the crews of other planes that one of Alex’s plane’s wings caught on fire which caused the plane to go into a spin and crashing into the sea without any of its crew bailing out of the plane. It was believed that there were no survivors. In all, his plane was one of four that went down in the North Sea.
Alex’s parent’s received a telegram from the War Department.
MR ALEXANDER JUSTUS SR
119 SOUTH 14TH AVENUE
MAYWOOD ILLINOIS
THE SECRETARY OF WAR DESIRES ME TO EXPRESS HIS DEEP REGRET THAT YOUR SON STAFF SERGEANT ALEXANDER JUSTUS JR HAS BEEN REPORTED MISSING IN ACTION SINCE THIRTEEN JUNE IN EUROPEAN AREA PERIOD IF FURTHER DETAILS OR OTHER INFORMATION ARE RECEIVED YOU WILL BE PROMPTLY NOTIED PERIOD
ULIO
THE ADJUTANT GENERAL
A report, dated June 14, 194, stated that no information had been received on the enlisted men and officers who became missing in action on June 13, 1943. Based on the lack of information, it was declaring the men to be dead. In June 1944, his parents received a letter from the War Department stating that Alex was being declared dead.
After the war, S/Sgt. Alexander Justus Jr.’s name was placed on the Walls of the Missing at the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.
