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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Ogden 21/7/42; force landed Hill Fd, Ut 19/8/42 with Ralph Dissaro; damaged at Cheyenne airport with Warren Dean 7/9/42 when brakes failed and it struck a passenger DC-3 owned by Utd Air Lines, rep; Assigned 422BS/305BG Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; Chelveston 6/12/42; transferred 368BS/306BG Thurleigh 20/1/43; Missing in Action Bremen 17/4/43 with Glen Lally, Co-pilot: Ben Hopkins, Navigator: Frank Ross, togg-Jim Curry, Radio Operator: Gene Lanning, Ball turret gunner: Alvin Johnson, Waist gunner: Leo Gallegos,Tail gunner: Bob McCeage (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jesse Downard, Waist gunner: Leno Off {chute failure} (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft caused severe fire & damage, crashed Aurich, near Wilhelmshaven, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 15525. THE GRIM REAPER.
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Squadron
Military | Technical Sergeant | Nose Gunner; Bombardier; Togglier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Prisoner of War (POW). 17 April 1943 on a mission to Bremen when B-17 #41-24467 'The Grim Reaper' was damaged by flak before reaching the target. After dropping bombs, 5 fighters attacked the plane. With the plane on fire, Pilot Lally ordered a bail...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier, Enlisted | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
17 April 1943 on a mission to Bremen when ac # B17 41-24467 'The Grim Reaper' was damaged by flak before reaching the target. After dropping bombs, 5 fighters attacked the plane. With the plane on fire, Pilot Lally ordered a bail out and the crew made...
Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 17 April 1943 in B-17 #41-24467 'Grim Reaper'. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft 3.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Prisoner of War (POW). 17 April 1943 on a mission to Bremen , ac # B17 41-24467 'The Grim Reaper' was damaged by flak before reaching the target. After dropping bombs, 5 fighters attacked the plane. With the plane on fire, Lally's ordered a bail out...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Prisoner of War (POW). 17 April 1943 on a mission to Bremen when ac # B17 41-24467 'The Grim Reaper' was damaged by flak before reaching the target. After dropping bombs, 5 fighters attacked the plane. With the plane on fire, Pilot Lally ordered a bail...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 17 April 1943 in B-17 #4124467 'Grim Reaper. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Killed in Action (KIA) on 17 April 1943 on a mission to Bremen, when B-17 #41-24467 'The Grim Reaper' was damaged by flak before reaching the target. After dropping bombs, 5 fighters attacked the plane. With the plane on fire, Pilot Lally ordered a...
Military site : airfield
Chelveston was adapted and expanded in preparation for the arrival of American forces. Rather than heavy bombers, the first aircraft to fly from its runways were C-47 Skytrains that were flown by the 60th Troop Carrier Group in July 1942. The first...
Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 17 April 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2014 18:40:02 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15525 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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