Miller, circa 1940's.
Miller, circa 1940's.
Name: Glenn Miller
Case Classification: Missing
Missing Since: December 15, 1944
Location Last Seen: Germany.
Date of Birth: March 1, 1904
Age: 40 years old
Race: Unknown
Gender: Male
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Unknown
Eye Color: Unknown
Nickname/Alias: Unknown
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Glenn Miller was born "Alton Glenn Miller", but later had his named changed to "Glenn Miller".
Dentals: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
DNA: Unknown
Clothing: Unknown
Jewelry: Unknown
Additional Personal Items: Unknown
Glenn Miller, first as a Captain, later as a Major, was probably the most prominent entertainer for the Americans in East Anglia. His disappearance during a flight to Paris for a concert in December 1944 was explained by his plane being brought down over the English Channel by bad weather. An archive containing papers and material of an RAF navigator were sold in auction at Sotheby's at Billingshurst, West Sussex on April 13, 1999. The EDP carried a feature on these materials on March 20, on which the following is based:
The late Fred Shaw, DFC, was a navigator on an RAF Lancaster based at Methwold. His records suggest that the Norseman plane carrying the bandleader was knocked out of the sky by a blast wave from bombs jettisoned by aircraft returning from aircraft that had been recalled from a bombing mission over Germany. In 1985, the Ministry of Defense issued a letter, which is part of the archive, stating that Mr Shaw's explanation is "the most likely solution to the mystery".
Shaw's log records that his bomber, NF973 of 149 Squadron, en route to Siegen in Germany, near the Luxembourg border, was recalled just south of Brussels due to bad weather and was then directed to the "southern jettison area", 50 miles south of Beachy Head over the English Channel. The bomb aimer released the 4000 lb bomb load from a safe height of 4000 feet, but later called over the intercom that he could see a plane below. Shaw identified the plane as a Norseman flying at an altitude of 1500 feet, flying south and surrounded by bombs exploding as they hit the water.
GlennMiller.org
Glenn Miller - Bandleader Who Disappeared
Added: Prior to 2011; Last Updated: 08-23-2021 - By: Htmlcnvtr
Questions or comments? Please contact appropriate member of the Area Team
** Listed information is from the time of disappearance.
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