8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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43-39160
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 23/12/44; Grenier 3/1/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Molesworth 4/2/45; Missing in Action Hamburg 20/3/45 with Francis Taub, John Cooper, Elmer McWilliams (3 Killed in Action); Chas Johnson, Mike Dugan, Warren Chrisman, Chester Maluchnik, Jim Hollowell, Jim Spencer, Bob Gilbert (7 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Westerade, Germany; Missing Air Crew Report 13569.
Service
Units
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303rd Bomb Group
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New... -
358th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Warren Chrisman
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
John Cooper
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 18 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Held A/C level along with pilot for crew to bale out, last seen on catwalk to escape... -
Michael Dugan
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 - After the A/C broke up Dugan was the only man to make it out of the nose section. Prisoner of War (POW)... -
Robert Gilbert
Military | Sergeant | SJ, Spot Jammer | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
James Hollowell
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Charles Johnson
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Chester Maluchnik
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Elmer McWilliams
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Trapped by centrifugal forces in fuselage prior to explosion. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13569 ... -
James Spencer
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 13569 Awards: AM, POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Francis Taub
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 19 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Held A/C level for crew to bale out, last seen on catwalk to escape hatch before spin....
Missions
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898
20 March 1945
Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description ...
Places
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Molesworth
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Manufactured | Long Beach, CA | 1944 |
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Built at Boeing. |
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| Ferried | Grenier AAF, NH | 3 January 1944 |
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Ferried through Grenier AAF 3-Jan-44. |
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| Delivered | Lincoln AAF, NE | 23 December 1944 |
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Delivered Lincoln AAF 23-Dec-44. |
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| Assigned | Molesworth, UK | 4 February 1945 |
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Assigned 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Westerade, Germany | 20 March 1945 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45. 7 x POW, 3 x KIA MACR 13569 |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 21 February 2019 17:11:24 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, markings, description, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/41997331 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:37 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 13569 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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