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.
...
The American Air Museum is Closed
Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
42-102444
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/3/44; Gr Island 30/3/44; Dow Fd 6/4/44; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-S] Snetterton 7/4/44; Missing in Action Berlin 8/5/44 with Leo Green, Co-pilot: Simon Nesbitt, Navigator: Jim Hesketh, Bombardier: Dan Benia, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jack Pope, Radio Operator: Darwin Marl, Ball turret gunner: Everett Howe, Waist gunner: Claude Meadows, Waist gunner: Chas Moss,Tail gunner: Harry Shirey (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Doverden, 10 miles W of Rethen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4573. SMILIN' THRU.
Service
Units
-
-
96th Bomb Group
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945. ... -
339th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
-
Daniel Benia
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Leo Green
Military | Flight Officer | Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 Downed by enemy fighters. Crashed at Retban, South of Verdan, Germany #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
James Hesketh
Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Everett Howe
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Darwin Marl
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down over Germany near Verdan while on 8th mission after head-on attack by Me109 fighters. B-17 blew up as crew bailed out. All survived, but were later captured and... -
Claude Meadows
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Charles Moss
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Simon Nesbitt
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42-102444 "Smilin' Thru", Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Jack Pope
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 8 May 1944 in B-17 #42102444 'Smilin' Thru. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Harry Shirley
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Places
-
Snetterton Heath
Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 8 May 1944 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 July 2020 23:13:34 | SR Fudge | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Crashes |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 May 2020 06:53:16 | kstrykerAK | Changes to nicknames and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Snetterton Falcons II: The 96th Bomb Group in World War II by Robert E Doherty & Geoffrey Ward, Second Edition with Errata & Supplemental Information, Taylor Publishing, 1996. page 137, 293 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4573 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
