Melvin Harold Bebee was born August 7, 1917 in Long Sault Island, NY. to Rev. William Lorne Bebee (1891-1965) and Amy A. Sheets (1892-1982). His mom and dad were from Canada and came to the U.S. in 1916. His parents were married on October 11, 1916 in St. Lawrence County, NY. The family moved to Utica in 1930 where his dad worked for the Y.M.C.A. He was the oldest of their eight children which included Murray (1919-2010), Maurice (1920-?), Lorena (1921-2007), Milton (1922-1985), Lillian (1923-?), Morgan (1926-?) and Mark (1927-?). The family lived at 304 Spring St. in Utica, NY and later moved to 1681 West St., Utica, NY. He graduated from Utica Free Academy in 1936.

He registered for the draft in October 1940 in Utica, NY. He reported being 5'-8" tall and weighed 132 pounds with blue eyes and brown hair. He was working for Thomas P. White in Washington Mills at the time. He married Mildred Joyce Williams (1919-1958) August 15,1942. She lived at 1535 Steuben Street, Utica, NY. at the time Melvin is killed. Her father, J. Stanley William was an Alderman for Utica. She later remarried to Melvin's brother Maurice. Melvin was one of four brothers whom all served during the war. The others were Milton, Maurice and Murray.

Melvin was drafted into the service on February 11, 1941 through Albany, NY and given service number 32042230. He served with the 69th Coastal Artillery in San Diego before qualifying as an aviation cadet. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in April 1943 with service number O-801053. He was stationed at Monroe, La. in May 1943. That May, his older brother Milton was awarded the Air Medal for "meritorious achievement" while taking part in Eighth Air Force bombing attacked in Europe. He was home on furlough in July 1943 before being shipped overseas on August 3, 1943.

Two days later, August 5, 1943, 2nd Lt. Bebee was part of a crew ferrying a B-17F serial number #42-30468 aircraft on a ten hour flight from Gander, Newfoundland to Nutts Corner, Ireland. The weather was reported terrible and they apparently got lost and ran out of fuel near their destination. Efforts were made to escort the lost plane by radio and by air but all failed. The plane crashed into the sea near the town of Berwick Upon Tweed, England. Launches were on the scene of the crash within minutes and efforts were even made to tow the wreck to shore but the weather and conditions made it impossible. The plane sank and none of the crew were found.

It wasn't until late September 1943 that his wife, Joyce, received a telegram confirming her husband's death on August 5. His remains have never been recovered and he was memorialized at the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire on their Tablets of the Missing.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

"Bebee Killed in Action", Utica Observer-Dispatch, Utica, NY, October 1, 1943, pg. 4-a.

"Bebee – Williams" wedding announcement, Utica Daily Press,

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56287682/melvin_h-bebee: accessed December 4, 2025), memorial page for 2Lt Melvin H Bebee (1917–5 Aug 1943), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56287682, citing Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England; Maintained by Phantom Plot Picster (contributor 47866465).

"Flyer Reported Missing in Action Over Europe", Daily Sentinel, Rome, NY, August 16, 1943, pg. 12.

Fold3, US, Missing Air Crew Reports (MACRs) of the U.S. Army Air Forces, 1942-1947 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/95/us-missing-air-crew-reports-macrs-wwii-1942-1947 : accessed Dec 4, 2025), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/95/us-missing-air-crew-reports-macrs-wwii-1942-1947

Fold3, US, World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 (https://www.fold3.com/publication/831/us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946 : accessed Dec 4, 2025), database and images, https://www.fold3.com/publication/831/us-wwii-army-enlistment-records-1938-1946

"Flier Bebee Dies in Action", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, October 7, 1943, pg. 3

Individual Deceased Personnel File for 2Lt. William Bebee, National Archives at St. Louis, MO.  Service number O-801053

National Archives at College Park; College Park, Maryland, USA; Electronic Army Serial Number Merged File, 1938-1946; NAID: 1263923; Record Group Title: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration, 1789-ca. 2007; Record Group: 64; Box Number: 04593; Reel: 181

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

"U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Utica Free Academy; Year: 1936

Year: 1930; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0081; FHL microfilm: 2341355

Year: 1940; Census Place: Utica, Oneida, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02862; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 67-95A

Supporting Documents

Missing Air Crew Report