Homefront to Battlefront: Warren S. Lutz

Whty years ago, the world celebrated the end of World War II, concluding the most devastating conflict in human history. Southampton contributed more than a thousand men and women to the war effort, with countless others supporting the battlefront from the homefront. Forty-six men from Southampton lost their lives in service to their country and community.

One of those who made the ultimate sacrifice was Warren S. Lutz, a graduate of Southampton High School and Norwich University. Lutz was commissioned into the Army Air Corps as a Second Lieutenant in May 1942 and was assigned to the 368th Bomb Squadron of the 306th Bomb Group based at Thurleigh, England. Lutz was the pilot of #42-31556 a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber with a crew of 10 men.

B-17 Identification Image (Southampton History Museum Collection)

On April 29, 1944, Lutz's ninth mission, the 306th Bomb Group was sent to attack the rail yards near Berlin. On their return flight, the plane was hit by flak and a wing was badly damaged. The aircraft rolled over and went straight down in flames. Two men survived and were captured, but the rest of the crew was killed, including Lutz. He was 23. After the war, his remains were returned to the United States. Lutz is buried in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. He was awarded an Air Medal and Purple Heart.

B-17 #43-37877 Aircraft lost on November 30, 1944, on a mission to Merseburg, Germany. Like Lutz's plane, it was also hit by flak and crashed soon after releasing its bombs (487thbg.org)

Warren S. Lutz's Dog Tags. Recovered from the wreckage of his B-17, Lutz's dog tags are on display at Homefront to Battlefront: Southampton during WWII (Village Commission on Veterans Patriotic Events Collection)

Warren Lutz's Internment Record (ancestory.com)

As the voices of the "Greatest Generation" grow fainter with time, we invite you to help preserve their memory and honor heroes like Warren Lutz. If you have a loved one who served or lived through World War II, we welcome you to share their story with us by clicking on this link: https://forms.gle/ZXxMabyJQyGvjc3m7

Learn more about Lutz and other Southampton heroes at Homefront to Battlefront: Southampton during WWII, the Southampton History Museum's pop-up exhibition commemorating the legacies and sacrifices of Southampton's citizens during World War II. The exhibition is open Saturdays from 11 AM to 4 PM at Veterans Memorial Hall in Southampton Village.

Explore the history of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and its role in the air war over Nazi-occupied Europe with this video featuring Cory Graff, curator at the National WWII Museum.