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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Salina 8/3/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 6/5/43; Dow Fd 19/5/43; Presque Is 21/5/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-O] Ridgewell Stone, Joe Mello, Bill Grayson; Missing in Action 4m Romilly 3/9/43 with Ben Zum, Navigator: John Willis (Wounded in Action), Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Italiano, Waist gunner: Frank Crocittio, Waist gunner: Chas Bang, Tail gunner: Ferdinand Christofero (5 Prisoner of War), Co-pilot: Chas Hoover, Radio Operator: Edwin Myers, Ball turret gunner: Floyd Terry (3 evaded capture), Bombardier: Luther Clark (KIA-chute failed); shot down by enemy aircraft crashed Provine, 18 miles W of Romilly, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 473. BIG TIME OPERATOR. 25/5/43 with Marvin Lord, George Darrow, Frank Shimek, Tom Hester, Fred Berg, Tom Campbell, Chas Fry, Ken
.... (incomplete)
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Zum crew, 381st BG, 535th BS.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft XVIIB.
Brooklyn, NY
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in the B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Killed in Action when his parachute failed to open.
Quitman, TX
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft XVIIB.
Yonkers, NY
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Evaded, EE report 195. Unable to locate EE report.
Rome, Nevada
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Prisoner of War Stalag Luft XVIIB.
New Orleans, LA
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
May - September 1943. Radio operator, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romily, France. MACR 473. T/Sgt Myers was a replacement for this mission, he was a...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Evaded. EE report 382. S/Sgt Terry suffered a frozen left hand due to difficulty in buckling...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Lt Willis was knocked unconscious as his parachute opened and awoke on the...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Zum crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 3 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29789 'Big Time Operator'. Mission #25 to the airfield at Romilly, France. MACR 473. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft I.
Brooklyn, NY
3 September 1943
German airfields in France and the Caudron-Renault works at Paris are the targets for this mission. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 351BG (19); 381BG (22); 92BG (19); 305BG ...
Military site : airfield
Built during 1941-42 as an RAF bomber station, Ridgewell operated as a satellite to RAF Stradishall until May 1943. It had three concrete runways, initially 36 pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Taken over by the Eighth Air Force in June...
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | France | 3 September 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 April 2020 00:14:12 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 November 2017 01:41:38 | ARowe95 | Changes to markings, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:23 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 473 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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