Ellis M. Middleton II – Captain, United States Army Air Forces

PARENTS LOCATE SOLDIERS GRAVE
Couple Searched for 3 Years for Body of Son Shot Down Over Arnheim

September 2, 1948 – Mrs. And Mrs. Ellis M. Middleton of Stamford, Connecticut, came home esterday after visiting the grave of their son in the United States military cemetery in Belgium.

Theor eight-week journey to Europe was the culmination of a three-year quest for imformation about Captain Ellis S. Middleton 2nd, who was reported missing in action in September 1944.

During that period, Mr. Middleton arranged for the distribution 0f 30,000 circulars and the insertion of advertisements in neeapapers in Europe.  They carried descriptions of the 24-year-old fighter pilot who had enlisted before Pearl Habor and had won eight decorations, including the Distinguihed Flying Cross.

Three months ago, after hundreds of letters offering help had reached Mr. Middleton, he learned that his son’s body had been buried by Nazi paratroopers in the Kleve forest and later marked with the inscription “Unknown German Soldier.”

The body was removed to the U.S. Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz in Belgium.  Captain Middleton had been shot down on September 23, 1944, in the fighting over Arnhem after he had downed three Nazi planes.

During their trip Mr. and Mrs. Middleton saw the spot where he crashed and ciewed some remanants of the P-47 aircraft in which he had made his final flight.  They also visited thirty-five of the persons who had assisted in the discovery of Captain Middleton’s first grave.

Captain Middleton’s body will be returned to the United States for reburial in Arlington National emetery.  Mr. Middleton, who was a pilot in World War I, said that he also expected to be interred there.

The Middletons returned on the Holland-America lined Nieuw-Amsterdam.

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