At the date of 09-04-1944, time: not known, the aircraft type P-38 has been lost. The location of the plane was found at: IJsselmeer (near Hindeloopen). The unit of crew and plane is: 20FG/55FS. First flyer rank: 1st Lieutenant, name: R.H. Dettre. The plane belonged to the Allied forces.

Sunday 9th of April, Rex was in his P-38, escorting B-24 bombers back from a mission to bomb an aircraft plant in northern Germany. He was only 12 minutes from the coast of Holland and the relative safety of the North Sea when his propellers ran away.

Mechanical failure, bailed out between Molkwerum and Schuilenburg, about 1.5 mi S of Hindeloopen and landed near farm "De Kamp" of Tjitte Folkertsma. With help of the locals he disappeared over the railroad in the reed of the Haanmeer [polder]. Soon arrived also "de Grünen", mostly fanatic Nazi's from Leeuwarden. The whole farm was searched but nothing was found. The lifeboat "C.A. den Tex" only found a gas tank and pieces of rubber
Althrough the IJsselmeer is very shallow at that point, the Lightning was totally gone.

O-25514 - 1st Lt. - Fighter Pilot - Rexford Herbert Dettre Jr. - Inglewood, CA - POW - Stalag Luft 3
born 21 Mar 1920, Philadelphia, PA – died 11 Mar 2004, Columbia, Mississippi - Age 83

Rexford Herbert Dettre Jr.

Thanks to PATS (see source link for more info)