James R Forbes

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

LWG, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft IV.

S/Sgt Forbes was wounded (broken leg) in the aircraft. The aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded. S/Sgt Forbes bailed out and landed near Diepholtz, Germany.

Roanoke, VA

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17154727
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-2044647
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18126636
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14096198
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator / Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19055921
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Aircraft

A crashed B-17F Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29854) nicknamed "Ole Flack Sack" of the 381st Bomb Group, 7 August 1943. Official caption on image: "(GAD-138-2-381)(7-8-43)(A/C 29854 - Type B17F)."
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ole Flak Sack
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Other

Prisoner of War

8 October 1943 Stalag Luft IV

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an Association to “Ridgewell”, the home base of the 381st BG.

Capitalized the Words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorARowe95
Changes
Sources

ARowe95

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 1395 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1395 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database