Michael James Riley, Jr.
Sergeant
United States Army Air Forces
Michael James Riley, Jr., son of Michael James and Marjorie Lucille (Kane) Riley, was born in Galesburg on 3 September 1925. To eliminate any confusion, he was known as Jim since everyone called his father Mike.
Jim graduated from Saint Ambrose Academy (Class of 1943) and attended Saint Ambrose College.
Jim was engaged to Jean DeRocker.
In December 1943, Jim received his induction notice, informing him to leave for Fort Sheridan, Illinois on Tuesday, 14 December 1943, at 3:20 a.m. During the next several months, Jim would write to his parents about military life and his new friends. Jim eventually went to England where he became a Tail and Waist Gunner on a B-17G with the 568th Squadron, 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy). During that time he had eight missions to his credit. Those missions were:
1. 22 February 1945, secondary rail lines and bridges near Bramburg, Germany;
2. 23 February 1945, small marshalling yards at Treuchtlingen, Germany;
3. 24 February 1945, communication facilities at Wesel, Germany;
4. 26 February 1945, the Alexanderplatz station (railroad station) in the Horst Wesel District of Berlin, Germany;
5. 27 February 1945, marshalling areas in the Leipzig-Halle- Chemnitz, Germany area;
6. 7 March 1945, benzol production plant in Datteln, Germany;
7. 8 March 1945, benzol production plat in Langendreer, Germany; and
8. 18 March 1945, rail yards in the northwest part of Berlin, Germany.
On 6 April 1945, Jim’s family received a War Department telegram informing them that Jim was listed as Missing-In-Action. Some time later a War Department telegram would inform them that his status was changed to Killed-In-Action. During the 18 March bombing mission over Berlin, Germany, Jim’s aircraft (No Name Jive) was hit by anti-aircraft fire and lost two engines. They left the formation and headed for the Russian lines. Just as the aircraft reached the Russian lines, the aircraft was attacked by two German fighter plans and set the aircraft on fire, causing the aircraft to explode. According to crewmember reports, Jim was killed before the aircraft exploded. The aircraft was found in Poland by the Russians. Of the thirteen crewmembers, four were killed.
Three years after the war, Jim’s parents received a letter from the Office of the Quartermaster General, providing details of Jim’s overseas burial. In that letter they learned that Jim was buried in an isolated grave at Wustchdorf, Poland, but was later disinterred as a result of a subsequent investigation. He was buried in the United States Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium (nine miles southwest of Liege). The letter went on to say that they received information from civilians indicating that three American fliers were buried in the park in the village of Bucze, Poland. The citizens of the village placed a marker at the burial site bearing Jim’s name and date of death.
Jim was survived by his parents; a sister Mary Alice; and two brothers, Robert C. and Father John.
Sergeant Michael James Riley, Jr., United States Army Air Forces, is buried in Rock Island’s Calvary Cemetery. Jim posthumously received the Purple Heart and Air Medal.
Source of Information:
1. Letter from Father John F. Riley dated 9 January 2004. Father John is Michael’s brother.
2. National Archives, World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel for the State of Illinois.
3. National World War II Memorial veteran’s registry; http://www.wwiimemorial.com/.
In 1997, Father John F. Riley completed a biography on Michael’s life in the armed forces from the day of his induction to his death for his family and Michael’s fiancée, now Mrs. Arnold Buchmeyer. The following are excerpts from that 66 page biography.
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