The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today (Sept. 5, 2018) that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, killed during World War II, have been identified as those of U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant Herbert W. Harms. Harms, 28, born in Rutland, Illinois, was accounted for on August 31.

In August 1944, SSgt Harms served as a B-17 Flying Fortresses tail gunner with the 569th Bombardment Squadron, 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, 3rd Air Division, 8th Air Force, European Theater of Operations (Framlingham, Suffolk, England). On Aug. 16, 1944, Harms' aircraft (B-17 #42-29962 "Dottie II ") was struck by anti-aircraft artillery (flak) during a bombardment mission to Zeitz, Germany. The aircraft crashed just outside the village of Cauerwitz, Germany. Eight of the nine crewmembers of the "Dottie III/Green Banana" safely bailed out of the aircraft, were captured and held as prisoners of war before being returned to duty. None of the surviving crewmembers reported seeing Harms leave the aircraft, though most believed he jumped before the crash. A German report listed Harms as having died in the crash (Killed in Action). Ssgt Harms was awarded the Purple Heart & Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters, American Campaign Medal & World War II Victory Medal. His name is permanently inscribed on the "Walls of the Missing" at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery.

Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 8455: Missing in Action [48m] Zeitz 16/8/44 with Pilot: Robert (Bob) Buckley, Co-pilot: Robert (Bob) Nye, Navigator: John Stearns, Bombardier: Lewis Hughes, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Blackmon, Radio Operator: Francis McDemott, Ball turret gunner: Ray Cook, Waist gunner: Bill Combow (8 Returned to Duty);Tail gunner: Herbert Harms (Killed in Action); flak hit set front of ship on fire which exploded, crashed Calsewitz, W of Zeitz, Ger; DOTTIE III aka GREEN BANANA.

Salutatorian of the 1933 Rutland (Illinois) High School class. He took a 2 year teacher's course at Illinois State University, but could not find a teaching job . So he hitch-hiked to Texas and then California. Ever adventurous, Herb traveled to Alaska eventually working a gold claim. After joining the Army , he became a tail gunner on a B-17. The plane never returned from a mission on August 16, 1944 after making many successful runs, even earning a presidential citation. He was greatly missed by his father, five brothers and five sisters. His memory is kept alive by many nieces and nephews.