S/Sgt. Richard W. Shipperley
Nov. 28, 1922-June 13, 1944
Niles Daily Star, Wednesday, June 27, 1945, page 1, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library
Memorial Rites for Shipperley
Memorial services for S/Sgt. Richard W. Shipperley, 21, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Shipperley, rural route four, who reportedly died after parachuting from his plane when it was damaged on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany, June 13, 1944, will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m in the First Methodist church with the Rev. L.G. Beacock, pastor, officiating.
According to a letter received from a buddy of his, S/Sgt. Shipperley had bailed out over the Alps mountains after being ordered to do so by the pilot. The fuel tank had been hit and the plane was running out of gas. The pilot headed the plane for the Swiss border but the plan was abandoned and the entire crew parachuted to safety.
The soldier who wrote the letter said they saw the plane crash on the other side of the mountain. The crew became separated in the jump and he and another soldier headed toward a valley where they found the body of Shipperley. At first they thought he was wounded but then found that he had died possibly of internal injuries. They believed his parachute had become entangled in a mountain rock and had been ripped from him since it was gone when the body was found.
Shipperley was buried in the valley after short funeral rites. The next day the survivors of the crash were captured by the Germans and were liberated sometime in May. The letter was written after the soldier's return to the United States.
Members of the American Legion Post will present the colors and act as guard of honor.