Second Lieutenant Victor Stephen Kramer, Army serial number O-704012, was born at Manhattan, New York City, New York on January 12, 1918. He was probably an only child. His parents were Viktor J. Kramer (17 Dec 1891 – 9 Apr 1978), who was born at Arad, Hungary (now Arad, Romania) and immigrated via Bremen, Germany to America at Ellis Island, New York on September 18, 1907; and Frances Mary 'Fanny' (Glaser) Kramer (12 Aug 1895 – Jun 1947), who was born at Wesjrem (possibly Veszprém), Hungary and immigrated to America about 1911. His parents married at Manhattan, New York City, New York on April 21, 1917. His father became a naturalized U.S. citizen on February 26, 1925.

In April 1930 the family lived at 144 West 98th Street, Manhattan, New York. His father's usual occupation was chauffeur for a private family. By April 1940 the family lived at 209 West 97th Street, Manhattan, New York. By 1944 his parents lived at 49-15 Skillman Avenue, Woodside, Queens County, New York, his home of record.

He graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx, New York, where he played football. He went on to graduate from New York University at Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan. He is listed in the April 1940 United States Census as one of nine teachers in the household of Reverend George P. Mayo, the Superintendent of Blue Ridge Industrial School at Saint George, Greene County, Virginia (near Charlottesville). He later taught algebra and coached football at New York Military Academy, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York.

He registered for the draft at New York City on October 16, 1940. He was 6 feet tall, weighed 180 pounds, and had brown eyes and brown hair. At that time he lived with his parents at 209 West 97th Street in Manhattan, and was a student at New York University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at New York City, New York on August 18, 1942, and was called to active duty in March 1943. His home of record was his father's address at 49-15 Skillman Avenue, Woodside, Queens, New York. He was engaged to be married to Maria Kappes of 51-04 Skillman Avenue, Woodside, New York.

He completed Army Air Forces navigation training in Class 43-17 at Selman Field, Monroe, Louisiana, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on December 24, 1943. He was then assigned as navigator on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Doyle E. Simons. The Simons crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico, where they completed B-24 crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 41-29479 'The Big Bad Wolf' from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944.

The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe. After the Group arrived in England, Lt Simons was grounded with appendicitis, and was replaced as First Pilot by 2/Lt Lorin D. McCleary Jr. Here is Lt McCleary's crew roster on May 11, 1944:

B-24H 42-52444 – 838th Bomb Squadron

• McCleary, Lorin D – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA

• McCoy, Ernest E – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA

• Kramer, Victor S – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA

• Perry, Joseph D – 2/Lt – Bombardier – KIA

• Owens, Harold E – S/Sgt – Engineer – POW

• McKee, Eugene – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA

• Frey, Arthur C – Sgt – Nose Turret – KIA

• Churm, Paul K – Sgt – Top Turret – KIA

• Barboza, Clemente M – Sgt – Ball Turret – KIA

• Knapp, Dale L – Sgt – Tail Turret – KIA

On May 11, 1944, the McCleary crew took off from Lavenham in B-24H 42-52444 on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Chaumont, France. The secondary target was Troyes. The 487th Bomb Group formation never reached the target. Navigational error resulted in the formation flying over accurate German flak guns guarding the airfield at Chateaudun, France. Lt Kramer and eight of his crewmates were killed in action when their aircraft was shot down by flak over Chateaudun. 2/Lt J. Wray Lacy (1922 – 2017), navigator on the Olen F. Huff crew, was flying with Huff in B-24 41-29525 off McCleary's right wing when McCleary's aircraft was hit. Lt Lacy had known Lt Kramer since navigation training at Selman Field. He said:

     "I could see Kramer through my window in the nose. After the first two planes were shot down, his plane was off our left wing. I could see him looking through the navigator's window of his plane when it was hit."

The aircraft took a direct flak hit in the nose and flight deck and started burning at the engines. It went into a dive, exploded in the air, and crashed three kilometers east of Varize near Bazoches-en-Dunois. One man, Staff Sergeant Harold E. Owens, survived. He wrote:

     "At approximately 1145 we were hit by flak in the nose, which resulted in the death of Lt Victor Kramer, navigator, Sgt Paul Churm, top turret gunner, and S/Sgt Eugene McKee, radio operator. The plane immediately burst into flames, we were flying at an altitude of approximately 11,000 feet, a few seconds later the plane started into a dive, and exploded in mid air, with the result that I was blown clear of the plane. I managed to pull my ripcord and landed eight miles north of Chateaudun, France. I made a safe landing and at a distance of one quarter of a mile I saw the plane completely wrecked and on fire. I was the only member of the crew who parachuted to safety. I did not go near the plane because I knew the bombs had not exploded. I hid in the woods and about five minutes later the bombs exploded."

The dead were recovered by German troops, who buried them at the Grand Cimetière in Orleans, France. Lt Kramer's remains were returned to the United States and interred at Saint John Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens County, New York, on April 14, 1949. He is buried in Section 47, Row X, Grave 136, with his parents.

A memorial plaque was dedicated to the McCleary crew at Varize, Eure-et-Loire, Centre, France on May 9, 2015. The plaque was made possible through the efforts of Jean Pierre and Forced Landing Association, in collaboration with the municipalities of Varize and Bazoches-en-Dunois, France. The plaque is mounted in an entry alcove of the thirteenth-century Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul) in Varize (map coordinates 48.096472°N, 1.513639°E)

Sources:

1. 487th Bomb Group Association

2. 1930 US Census; New York; New York County; Manhattan; 144 West 98th Street. Kramer, Victor. 8 Apr 1930 (his father)

3. 1940 US Census; New York; New York County; Manhattan; West 97th Street. Kramer, Victor. 11 Apr 1940 (his father)

4. 1940 US Census; Virginia; Greene County; Monroe Magisterial District; Blue Ridge Industrial School; 627 Bacon Hollow Road. Kramer, Victor S. 13 May 1940 (one of nine teachers in the household of George P. Mayo)

5. B24BestWeb. B-24H 41-29479 'The Big Bad Wolf'

6. Blue Ridge School, Saint George, Greene County, Virginia. Blue Ridge School History

7. Cemetery records of Saint John Cemetery, 80-01 Metropolitan Ave, Middle Village, Queens County, NY 11379

8. de Jong, Ivo. The History of the 487th Bomb Group (H). Paducah KY: Turner Publishing, Oct 2004

9. Enlistment Record of Victor S. Kramer

10. Forced Landing Association, Eure-et-Loire, France. Point of contact: Jean Pierre

11. Gates, Roy B. and Mansfield, Richard H. Selman Field 1942 – 1946. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing, 1998

12. HQ, 359th Combat Crew Training School, Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. Special Orders Number 71. 11 March 1944 (487th Bomb Group flight echelon order to proceed from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Herington, Kansas during the deployment to England)

13. Lacy, Jasper Wray. Personal Conversation. 30 May 2003 (Lt Col, U.S. Air Force Retired; Navigator on the crew of Lt Olen F. Huff and Lt Roy M. Webber, 838th Bomb Squadron, 487th Bomb Group, 20 Apr – 30 Sep 1944)

14. Long Island (NY) Star-Journal. 43 ISLAND MEN MISSING IN ACTION: Lieut. Kramer Downed in Plane. Thursday, 29 Jun 1944, page 10

15. New York, Naturalization Records, 1897–1944 about Viktor Kramer, his father (born 17 Dec 1891 in Hungary; immigrated in 1907; naturalized 26 Feb 1925; Spouse: Fanny; Child: Victor)

16. New York, New York Birth Index, 1910–1965 (ancestry.com) (Victor S Kramer born at Manhattan, New York City NY on 12 Jan 1918)

17. New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829–1938 (his parents married at Manhattan, NYC, NY on 21 Apr 1917)

18. New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892–1924

19. Social Security Death Index

20. U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report 4782

21. U.S. Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925–1949: Application for Headstone or Marker for Victor S. Kramer, serial number O-704012, birth 12 Jan 1918, death 11 May 1944. 26 May 1949

22. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939–1945

23. U.S. War Department. World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel. Washington, D.C., June 1946

24. U.S. World War II Draft Cards, Young Men, 1940–1947 (ancestry.com)

25. Victor Stephen Kramer in Kramer_2017A family tree at ancestry.com

26. World War I Draft Registration of Viktor J. Kramer. 5 Jun 1917 (his father)

27. World War II Draft Registration of Viktor Kramer. 25 Apr 1942 (his father)

Research by:

Paul Webber

Find A Grave member ID 47577572

Last edited 2 Apr 2024