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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42-3002
B-17 Flying Fortress
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"Lt Campbell and crew of the 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'The Old Squaw'. England, 17 July 1943." Rear L-R: Lt Claude W Campbell, 1Lt Arthur W. Miller, 1Lt George McGregor Ririe Jr, 1Lt Winston Earl Boutelle Front L-R: T/Sgt Howard E Hernan, T/Sgt Benton F Wilson, T/Sgt George D Quick, T/Sgt Harold A Kraft, T/Sgt Kurt W Bachert
Delivered Pocatello 31/12/42; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-Z] Morrison 5/3/43; Molesworth 8/4/43; Missing in Action 6/9/43 with Bob Hullar, Co-pilot: Wilbur Klint, Navigator: Elmer Brown, Bombardier: Jim McCormick, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dale Rice, Radio Operator: George Hoyt, Ball turret gunner: Norman Sampson, Waist gunner: Chas Fullen, Waist gunner: Chas Marson, Tail gunner: Merlin Miller (10 Returned to Duty); no gas, ditched Channel, all rescued by Air Sea Rescue and taken to Newhaven, Sx. No MACR. THE OLD SQUAW.
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... -
359th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Kurt Bachert
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
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Winston Boutelle
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
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Elmer Brown
Military | Captain | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Ditched in North Sea 6-Sep-43 in B-17 42-3002 'Old Squaw'. Picked up by ASR Returned to duty (RTD).* ETD ... -
Claude Campbell
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. ETD Awards: DSC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals. Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict. -
Fred Dioquardo
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Flew 28 combat missions. Served as ball Turret Gunner with many pilots and on many different aircraft in the 360th Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group. ... -
Charles Fullen
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea 6-Sep-43 in B-17 42-3002 'Old Squaw'. Picked up by ASR Returned to duty (RTD). Awards: WWII Victory, EAME -
Howard Hernan
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
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George Hoyt
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea 6-Sep-43 in B-17 #42-3002 'Old Squaw'. Picked up by ASR Returned to duty (RTD). 27 x combat missions. ETD Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME -
Robert Hullar
Military | Captain | Bomber pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea 6-Sep-43 in B-17 42-3002 'Old Squaw'. Picked up by ASR Returned to duty (RTD). 36 x combat missions. ETD Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME -
Wilbur Klint
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot; Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea 6-Sep-43 in B-17 42-3002 'Old Squaw'. Picked up by ASR Returned to duty (RTD). 25 x combat missions. ETD ...
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 | 1942 |
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Built at Douglas. |
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| Delivered | Pocatello AAF | 31 December 1942 |
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Delivered Pocatello AAF 31-Dec-42. |
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| Assigned | Molesworth, UK | 8 April 1943 |
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Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Crashed | English Channel | 6 September 1943 |
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Failed to Return 6-Sep-43; ditched English Channel out of fuel, all rescued by Air Sea Rescue and taken to Newhaven, Sussex. 10 x RTD |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 October 2020 21:35:06 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 January 2019 16:27:27 | Al_Skiff | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 January 2019 16:24:50 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings, events, unit associations and person associations |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:26 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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