William Henry Turcotte
MilitaryBack, left to right : Rudolph A. Thigpen, Victor Ciganek, Gerald H. Tucker, James A. Bowcock, Jarvis Allen, Albert T. Diminno
Front Left to right : Carl N. Smith, Jack A. Hargis, Capen R. Simons, William H. Turcotte.
Some men are still wearing the dry clothing supplied to them by the British Air Sea Rescue.
Détails about the men in the photo found by Victor Ciganek's daughter in the April 1985 issue of "The Ragged Irregulars" Newsletter.
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #42-3119. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29778. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft III, South Compound. Forced march and traveled in train box cars to Stalag VIIA, Moosburg. Liberated by V Armored Division, 7th Army attached to 3rd Army. Flown out in Goonie Bird on VE-Day. 4 return visits to England, last 50 years later to hour & day at Moosburg and all of VE-Day commemoration. Was a reputed taxidermist and birdsong expert (See https://www.mdwfp.com/see-visit/history.aspx )
AM/ ETO w/ 1 star/ POW/ WW II VM
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35430340
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32507462
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-671275
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32392925
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 9 October 1943
- Date: 26 July 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Magee, Mississippi | 24 January 1917 | |
Enlisted |
Jackson, Mississippi, United States | 14 March 1942 | as a Private in the Air Corps |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Żagań, Poland | 9 October 1943 | Interned at Stalag Luft 3 in Poland; forced march to Stalag 7A in Moosburg, Germany. NARA's WW II POW records :"Returned to Military control 18/7/1945"... |
Died |
Richland, Rankin County, Mississippi, United States | 5 November 2000 | |
Buried |
Mount Salus Cemetery, Clinton, Mississippi, United States |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 897 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / self; Roll of Honor; MACR 897; Contrails & Propwash December 2000, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Biship & Hey p. 192