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41-24568

B-17 Flying Fortress

B-17F 41-24568 "Lady Fairweather', assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-U] Bangor 9-October-42; Molesworth 25-October-42. The original crew flew to Molesworth 24/25-Oct-42 except for Borysiewicz. The aircraft also carried as a passenger Captain Abraham Black who was the 303BG Flight Surgeon. The aircraft participated in 3 operations (1 abort). Missing in Action, 23-November-42 on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens ar St Nazaire, France. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the sea, in flames, near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. This was the first loss for the Group. 10KIA MACR 15075.

18-Nov-42 Mission #1 - U-Boat pens - St. Nazaire, France (see Biography)
22-Nov-42 Mission #2 - U-Boat pens - Lorient, France - Aborted (see Biography)
23-Nov-42 LAST OPERTAION Mission #3 U-Boat pens - St. Nazaire, France (see Biography)

Service

Units

  • 303rd Bomb Group

    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

    359th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • John Ercegovich

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 Nov 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Navigator. Aircraft was shot down by German aircraft and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France Killed in Action (KIA). Participated in 3 operations (1 aborted).

  • Alexander Grieb

    Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Tail Gunner. Aircraft was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. Killed in Action (KIA). Particpated in 3 Operations (1 was...

  • Ferrell Mann

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Waist Gunner. Aircraft was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. Killed in Action (KIA). Participated in 3 Operation (1 was...

  • Francis McMurtry

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down on 20 December 1942 in B-17F #41-24566 'Zombie' while serving as Co-Pilot. Killed in Action (KIA). Originally assigned to 1LT Arthur E. Reddig's crew in B-17F #41-24568 "Lady Fairweather". Flew two missions with 1LT Reddig: 18-Nov-42 and 22...

  • Charles Miller

    Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as pilot. This was his first and only mission and considered an "orientation" flight. The regular pilot 1LT Artur E. Reddig served as Co-Pilot on this operation. Aircraft...

  • Devon Nolen

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Radio Operator. Plane crashed in to Bay of Biscay. Killed in Action (KIA). Participated in 3 Operations (1 aborted) See Biography events.

  • John Plummer

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
    2LT John W. Plummer was orginally assigned as the Bombardier on B-17F, #41-24603 "Green Hornet" [BN-Y], 303BG/359BS on 10-Sep-42 at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas and arrived with the aircraft at Molesworth, UK on 22-Oct-42. Shot down 23 November 1942 in...

  • Arthur Reddig

    Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Co-Pilot Aircraft was shot down by German aircraft and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. Killed in Action (KIA). The loss is documented on MACR 15075...

  • George Senior

    Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Tail Gunner. Aircraft was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. Killed in Action (KIA). Particiapted in 3 Operations (1 was...

  • Gerald Sturgis

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 23 November 1942 in B-17 #41-24568 'Lady Fairweather' while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Aircraft was shot down by German fighters and crashed into the sea ne Belle-Ile en Mer, France. Killed in Action (KIA). Participated in 3 operations (1...

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Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 21

    18 November 1942
    The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...

  • VIII Bomber Command 22

    22 November 1942
    The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the Primary (P) target of this mission. A combined force of 68 B-17s despatched from 91BG (18), 303BG (18) 305BG (23) and 306BG (9) against the target but a 10/10 could cover prevents all but 11 from 303BG from...

  • VIII Bomber Command 23

    23 November 1942
    The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) for this mission. A combined force of 50 B-17s despatched from 91BG (10), 303BG (12), 305BG (20) and 306BG (8) to attack this target. 91BG is not able to put any of their group on the target,...

Places

  • 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
Aircraft Assigned to Group Bangor, ME, USA 9 October 1942

Aircraft B-17F 41-24568 was assigned to the 303BG/359BS on 9-Oct-42 and Bangor, Maine.
Mission #1 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942

Crew

P 1LT Arthur E. Reddig (RTD); CP 2LT Francis M. McMurtry (RTD)
N 2LT John Ercegovich, Jr. (RTD); B 2LT Grady B. Ward (RTD)
E/TTG TSGT Robert W. Van Fleet (RTD); RO TSGT Devon B. Nolen (RTD)
BTG SGT George T. Senior (RTD); LWG SSGT Ferrell A. Mann (RTD)
RWG not carried; TG SGT Alexander S. Greib (RTD)
Mission #2 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS - Aborted Lorient, France 22 November 1942

Crew

P 1LT Arthur E. Reddig (RTD); CP 2LT Francis M. McMurtry (RTD)
N 2LT John Ercegovich, Jr. (RTD); B 2LT Grady B. Ward (RTD)
E/TTG TSGT Robert W. Van Fleet (RTD); RO TSGT Devon B. Nolen
BTG SSGT Gerald S. Sturgis (RTD); LWG SSGT Ferrell A. Mann
RWG SGT George T. Senior (RTR); TG Alexander S. Grieb (RTD). Mission aborted, no reason given in Mission Report.
Failed to Return (FTR) Belle Île, France 23 November 1942

Shot down by German fighters, crashed in the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France
Mission #3 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1943

Crew

P Capt Charles G. Miller (KIA); CP 1Lt Arthur E. Reddig (KIA)
N 2Lt John Ercegovich, Jr.(KIA); B 2Lt John W. Plummer (KIA)
E/TTG TSgt Devon B. Nollen (KIA); RO TSgt Robert W. Van Fleet (KIA)
BTG Sgt Alexander S. Grieb (KIA) WG SSgt Gerald S. Sturgis (KIA)
WG SSgt Ferrell A. Mann (KIA) TG Sgt George T. Senior (KIA)
Nicknames
Lady Fairweather
Production block number
B-17F-25-BO
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Triangle = 1st Bomb Division
C = 303rd BG
Radio Call Sign: BN (359BS) U = Aircraft ID

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
05 December 2015 20:04:03 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Edit to Description format.
Date Contributor Update
05 December 2015 20:02:01 Lee8thbuff Changes to description and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303Bg website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reprt of 23-Nov-42.
Date Contributor Update
05 December 2015 19:57:31 Lee8thbuff Changes to events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42.
Date Contributor Update
05 December 2015 19:54:14 Lee8thbuff Changes to description and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42.
Date Contributor Update
05 December 2015 19:49:36 Lee8thbuff Changes to description and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Aircraft Assigned to Group per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.
Date Contributor Update
12 May 2015 19:34:51 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added Capt Black as passneger on 25-Oct-42 flight form USA to Molesworth per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Date Contributor Update
12 May 2015 19:24:50 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added RWG and TG to original crew per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Date Contributor Update
12 May 2015 18:58:01 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added 2nd Mission crew to description per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf That Mission Reoprt has RO as Nollen, rather than Nolen as on MACR 15075. MACR taken as definitive.
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 23:24:50 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Typo corrections.
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 23:23:03 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Typo correction on Original crew listing.
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 23:21:44 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-Nov-2015. Added original crew and 1st mission crew to Description from 303BG website Reddig Crew page and Mission Report. www.303rdbg.com.
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 23:00:55 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Corrected typo in Description.
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 22:50:09 Lee8thbuff Changes to mission associations
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-May-2014 . Correcting Mission participation list per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Date Contributor Update
11 May 2015 22:27:25 Lee8thbuff Changes to markings and mission associations
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Added Mission connections and aircraft ID per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Date Contributor Update
01 December 2014 18:53:11 Lee8thbuff Changes to description and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 1-Dec-2014 Corrected loss location and map designation.
Date Contributor Update
01 December 2014 17:52:47 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 1-Dec-2014. Edited description with US military-style date significations, formatted and corrected crew information per MACR 15075 and 303BG Mission Report of 23-Nov-42 http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Date Contributor Update
05 November 2014 23:46:01 Lee8thbuff Changes to description
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 15075; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW Database.
Date Contributor Update
05 November 2014 22:32:59 Lee8thbuff Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

Lee Cunningham 5-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 15075.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:03 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15075 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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