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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17 #42-29983 "Iris" renamed later-on to "Uncle Sammy". Crew of 1st Lt. Atkinson, Challen P. , 381BG 533BS. Crashed on August 17, 1943 after raid to Schweinfurt and Flak damage nearby Adenau (Germany).
"Formation of Boeing B-17 "Flying fortresses" of the 381st Bomb Group en route to bomb enemy installations somewhere in Europe. - B-17G 42-29983 VP-X 'Uncle Sammy' 533BS, 381BG, 8AF.
Delivered Cheyenne 20-Mar-43; Dyersburg 31-Mar-43; Presque Isle 10-Apr-43; Dow Field, Bangor, Maine 12-Apr-43; Assigned 338BS/96BG [BX-K] Grafton Underwood 24/4/43 GLORIA ANN; Andrews Field 13-May-43; Snetterton 12-Jun-43; transferred 533BS/381BG [VP-X] Ridgewell 17-Jun-43.
Missing in Action 6m Schweinfurt 17-Aug-43 Damaged by flak and abandonded over Kesseling, Germany, five miles SW of Ahrweiler, Germany. The entire crew baled out but two crewmen were found dead in dense woods entangled in trees. Record is not clear if they were killed because they landed in the trees or were shot by the German Army or civilians. Missing Air Crew Report 398 - 2KIA 8POW. Named IRIS originally with 381BG for the girlfriend of the pilot, but the pair broke their relationship and the pilot renamed the aircraft UNCLE SAMMY.
P 1LT Challen P. Atkinson (KIA); CP 2LT Murray E. Dulberger (POW)
N 2LT Fred Freiberger (POW); B 2LT Julian M. Marks (POW)
E/TTG TSGT Richard J. Hanna (POW); RO TSGT Stanley C. Kasha (POW)
BTG SSGT James C. McGoldrick (KIA); RWG SSGT Peter A. Katsarelis (POW)
LWG SSGT Herbert A. Goss (POW); TG SSGT John Hyk (POW)
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 12/2/43; Walker 23/2/43; Smoky Hill 28/3/43; Presque 8/4/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 18/4/43 MOOR-FIDITE; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-E] Ridgewell 16/7/43; Missing in Action...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 20/3/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 7/5/43; Dow Fd 24/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-F] Ridgewell 31/5/43 with Reinhardt King, Neil Wright, Ed McGlynn, Francis Petrillo, Cecil Floura, Maynard Unger, Joe Lyons, Albt Pollard, Bob Dwyer,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Pueblo 10/4/43; Smoky Hill 7/5/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-H] Ridgewell 26/5/43 with Henry Peeples, Co-pilot: Jack Rogers, Navigator: Cliff Haverkamp, Bombardier: Vernon Nicholson, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/4/43; Smoky Hill 25/4/43; Walla Walla 2/5/43; Smoky Hill 10/5/43; Dow Fd 26/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-V] Ridgewell 23/6/43; Missing in Action 6m Schweinfurt 17/8/43
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/5/43; Smoky Hill 17/5/43; Dow Fd 21/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-L] Ridgewell 15/6/43; Missing in Action 5m Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Weldon Simpson (Killed in Action), Bombardier: Doug Roraback (evaded capture), Co-pilot: Elden...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-T] Ridgewell 4/43 with Capt Bob Post, Bob Nelson, Fred Nudell engineer, Harry Baylerian radio, Capt Joe Murray S-2, M/Sgt Andy Banas line chief, S/Sgt Joe Johnson elec/spec, Cpl...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-M] Ridgewell 28/5/43 with Harry Smith, Sam Hawkins, John Noonan, Lloyd Gwinn, Harry Blake, Judd Lischke, Tony Sylvester, John Jupin, John Elsberry, Julius Cosby; Missing in Action 9+m...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-V] Ridgewell 6/6/43 WIDGET with Loren Disbrow, Co-pilot: Allen Chapin, Navigator: Art Guertin, Bombardier: George Gaydos, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Otto Bruzewski, Tom Crowley...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Presque Isle 25/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-G] Ridgewell 26/5/43. Pilot Hamden L. Forkner; Co-Pilot Joseph A. Kelly; Navigator Robert E. Hyatt; Bombardier Edwin L. Vincent (substitute for Keith Moore); Engineer/Top Turret...
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...
Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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Squadron
Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot. Atkinson crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Killed in Action (KIA). Buried by the Germans in Community...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Atkinson crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Bailed out with Lt Atkinson and kept within voice...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Atkinson crew. 381st BG, 533d BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III and Stalag XVIIA.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
June - August 1943. LWG, Atkinson crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft VIIA & Stalag...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Tail gunner/Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Hedin crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. B-17 #42-3223 "Red Hot Riding Hood" crashed on 14 July 1943. Mission #9 to Amiens-Glisy, France. T/Sgt Hanna was the only uninjured member of the crew. 6 KIA. 3 WIA. The aircraft suffered engine...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Atkinson crew. 381st BG,533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag VIIA.
Philadelphia, PA
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Atkinson crew. 381st BG,533d BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag XVIIB.
Bairdford, PA
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Atkinson crew. 381st BG,533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag XVIIB.
Quantico, VA
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Atkinson crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III and Stalag XIIID....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Atkinson crew. 381st BG,533rd BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in AC #42-29983 'Uncle Sammy'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 398. Killed in Action (KIA). Germans reported that S/Sgt McGoldrick's...
17 August 1943
The mission flown on 17-Aug-43, the 1st anniversary of the 1st mission flown by the 8th Air Force, is probably the most written about mission of the war. This is the famous Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission on which 60 B-17s are lost. It has been dubbed ...
Military site : airfield
The base was known as Great Saling when construction – by US Army engineers – began in 1942 but was renamed Andrews Field in honour of the memory of Gen. Frank M. Andrews, who was killed when the B-24 he was travelling in crash-landed in Iceland on 3...
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 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
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...
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 17 August 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 06 November 2017 02:06:58 | ARowe95 | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 February 2016 18:28:21 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 6-Feb-2016. Correcting typo in Description. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 February 2016 18:11:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, unit associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 6-Feb-2016. Added nicknames and coding; Made connections to Units, Places and Missions; Edited Description with loss details and "Uncle Sammy" nickname and converted dates to USAAF military-style signification; Added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition of crew members, Formatted crew display. Sources: "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne; "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) MACR 398; American Battlee Monuments Commission (ABMC) records. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:25 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 398 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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