Ellsworth E Gustafson
Military
"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 22 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor.
Object Number - UPL 30906 - Staff Sergeant Ellsworth E. Gustafson, Tail Gunner, 493rd Bomb Group.
He was on his final mission when the co-pilot abandoned his post and bailed out; he was later dishonorably discharged. The aircraft continued on the mission when it was hit by flak and exploded. Crashed at Bauschheim on 13 Jan 45 in B-17 'Big Buster' #43-38271, Prisoner of War (POW). On returning to civilian life he graduated from Drake University and spent 27 years as a Special Agent with the FBI.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Big Buster
- Unit: 493rd Bomb Group 863rd Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Germany | 13 January 1945 - 30 May 1945 | |
|
Born |
Des Moines, Iowa, USA |
Revisions
Updated POW event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Helton s Hellcats, A Pictorial History of the 493rd BG, pub 1998 MACR 11736, http://493bgdebach.co.uk/roster_list.php / MACR 11736 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
