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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42-3131
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/2/43; 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Molesworth 4/6/43; RWG Leon Kesky Killed in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43; 40m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with John Carothers, Co-pilot: Chas Frost, Radio Operator: George Rajcula, Ball turret gunner: Bob Peavy, Waist gunner: Wiley Rogers, Waist gunner: Francis Morneau, Tail gunner: Roland Ziegler (7 Killed in Action), Navigator: Art Linnehan, Bombardier: Howard Barriscale, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harvey Scott (3 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft hits and exploded, crashed Kloster Oesede, four miles SE of Osnabruk, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1966. WINNIE THE POOH then FLAK WOLF.
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... -
427th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Howard Barriscale
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
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John Carothers
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Erven Chuhran
Military | Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. B-17 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission. 23-Oct-43. Killed in Service (KIS) Awards: PH. -
Charles Frost
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA). -
Arthur Linnehan
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Vern Moncur
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
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Francis Morneau
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA). PH -
Robert Peavy
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA). -
George Rajcula
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA). -
Wiley Rogers
Military | Technical Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down by fighters en route to Oschersleben on 11 January 1944 in B-17F #42-3131 'Flak Wolf. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 62
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown... -
VIII Bomber Command 63
13 June 1943
German naval facilities and port areas at Bremen, Germany and Kiel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A formation of 151 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (27); 305BG (24); 306BG (28); 351BG (21); and 379BG (13) are to... -
VIII Bomber Command 64
15 June 1943
A force of 155 B-17s are assembled and sent towards a target in France (possibly Huls), but the formation is recalled before reaching the French coast. 2 of the B-17s from 91BG are attacked by German fighters, but the damage in minimal and there are no... -
VIII Bomber Command 65
22 June 1943
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned... -
VIII Bomber Command 66
23 June 1943
A combined force of 172 B-17s is despatched from 91BG (13); 92BG (14); 303BG (22); 305BG (21); 306BG (22); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (22); and 384BG (18). Also 8 YB-40 gunships from 92BG are interspersed in the formation. The intention was for 140... -
VIII Bomber Command 67
25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ... -
VIII Bomber Command 68
26 June 1943
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the... -
VIII Bomber Command 69
28 June 1943
The primary specific target for this mission are the lock gates at St. Nazaire, France to be attacked by two separate formations and also another force is despatched to bomb the German airfield at Beaumon Le Roger, France. A formation of 120 B-17s of... -
VIII Bomber Command 71
4 July 1943
The aircraft factories at Le Mans and Nantes, France and the lock gates and harbour facilities at La Pallice, France are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is comprised of three elements: ... -
VIII Bomber Command 72
10 July 1943
German airfields at Caen, Abbeville, and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. 112 B-17s form a combined force from 91BG; 92BG; 305BG; 306BG; 351BG and 381BG to bomb the German airfield (Carpiquet) at Caen, France. Cloud...
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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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 11 January 1944 |
| Crashed | Kloster Oesede, Osnabruck, Germany | 11 January 1944 |
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Destroyed due to heavy German fighter presence. Seven killed in action, with three taken prisoner. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 December 2020 21:52:38 | 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 |
| 19 May 2020 10:58:09 | CastleBren | Changes to nicknames, markings, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd Bomb Group Records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:37 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1966 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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