Harry Stickel

Harry John Stickel (12 Aug 1920- 7 Jun 1944) was an American serviceman killed in action during World War II when his B-25 Mitchell was lost in a tropical storm. Stickel, a native of Fremont, Ohio, was a gunner/engineer on the B-25 Mitchell. Initially listed as missing in action in June of 1944, the United States Department of War declared him killed in action in February of 1946.

Early life
Stickel was born in Fremont, Ohio on August 12, 1920 to Harry Luther Stickel (1883-1960) and Nioma A. Grass (1883-1945). He was the youngest of four children. His three older sisters were Irene Elva Stickel-Swint (1910-2005), Mary Alice Stickel-Hoffman (1912-1994), and Ella Mae Stickel-Johnson (1915-1960). He was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, where a memorial mass was conducted after his death. Before entering the Air Corps he worked for the Herbrand Corporation and was affiliated with the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Fremont Ross Swim Team
Stickel was a member of the 1939 Fremont Ross High School State Championship swim team. He set one National Relay record, seven state records, and 12 school records. He was also state champion in two events. He was part of the Ross High School Swimming team that won the National 300-yard medley relay title in a record time of 3:08.5 minutes in 1939. As of March of 1946, that record still stood. On the team with Stickel, who was a back stroker, were Benny Hayes, breast stroker, and Don Greetham, free styler. N.B. (Bim) Stulls was their coach. In 2008, Stickel was posthumously inducted into the Ross High Athletic Hall of Fame.

United States Army Air Corps
After the outbreak of World War II, Stickel enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps on June 8, 1942 at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. He was trained at Keesler field Biloxi, Mississippi, and won his air corpsman’s wings at Tyndall field, Panama City, Florida. After his training was completed he went from California to New Caledonia in June of 1943 then to Russell Islands in November of 1943. He then moved to Stirling Island with the 69th Bomb Squadron in February of 1944 where he served until he was reported missing in June of 1944.

On March 2, 1944 Stickel was given an Air Medal with his second and third Oak Leaf Clusters on Stirling Island for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial combat flights of a hazardous nature over enemy territory. The award was presented by Brigadier Goss, a New Zealand Commander. At that time, Stickel had 28 missions to his credit against Japanese instillations and air fields during 10 months overseas. By June of 1944, he had completed over 50 missions and was award his ninth Oak Leaf Cluster to his Air Medal.

Final mission
On June 7, 1944 Pilot 1st Lt. Albert Phillips and crew took off from their base on Stirling Island for a bombing mission against a supply area in the Japanese held port city of Rabaul. The B-25 Mitchell, serial number 42-65143, was lost in a tropical storm and never seen again. The crew of that flight were Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Clarence Alves; Radio Operator T/Sgt Heinz Wobst; Engineer S/Sgt Harry Stickel; and Gunner S/Sgt Frank Erickson.

The aircraft was a part of a flight of twelve B-25 Mitchells that departed Stirling Island for Rabaul. One of the Mitchells turned back shortly after take-off due to a broken oil line and landed safely after a precautionary engine shut-down. The other eleven aircraft continued toward Rabaul but they encountered “an impenetrable front from 2,000 feet to 20,000 feet”. Lt. Phillips’ aircraft was last seen entering a cloud bank by 69th Squadron pilots Lt. James Mattox, Lt. Tom O’Dea, and Lt. James Thomason at 6.30 South 154.20 East, while the remaining ten aircraft returned to their base at Stirling Island. The previous day another B-25 piloted by Lt Bert F. Grantham of the 75th Bombardment Squadron, had been lost in the same storm front.

Search for the aircraft
In the afternoon of June 7, 1944 ten B-25 Mitchells of the 69th were dispatched to search for the missing aircraft. One aircraft sighted an object having the color of a life vest or emergency radio kit at 07.03 South 154.42 East, but the item could not be located again. On June 8, 1944, eight B-25 Mitchells of the 69th Bomb Squadron searched again for the missing aircraft. Six of these aircraft left in the morning and two in the afternoon. One of the morning aircraft picked up erratic signals which seemed to be distress signals at 6.30 South 155.00 East but could not pick up the signal on radio compass. The two afternoon aircraft picked up the same signal and found it was a false alarm; it was not a signal from the missing aircraft. No other searches were performed and the crewmembers were listed as missing in action until the War Department declared them killed in action in February of 1946.