John Henry Embach

Military

10-Jul-42 Asssigned as Navaigator of B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me."



On 23-Jan-43 in B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me" while serving as Navigator the aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above while attacking the port area of Lorient, France. 2Lt Embach was able to parachute safely from the stricken aircraft and was captured. Prisoner of War (POW).



Participated in 9 Operations (2 were aborted) with the 303BG/360BS. See Biography events.

Captain Embach served during the Korean War. He was the pilot of a B-26B Invader bomber with the 90th Bomber Squadron, 3rd Bomber Wing. On May 24, 1952, while on a night intruder mission at "Purple Four", there was an explosion aboard the aircraft, killing two crew members. His remains were recovered.



Captain Embach was awarded the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24559) nicknamed "Old Soljer" of the 303rd Bomb Group. Passed as censored 25 Jan 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-17 "Old Soljer". 25 Jan 1943.' Printed caption attached: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Side view of Fortress. This one's been named "Old Soljer" by her crew, who have painted the name on the side of the fuselage, as shown here. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Ministry of Information, As
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ooold Soljer
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Beats Me
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yardbird II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Detroit, Michigan, USA 28 March 1920

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Navigator aboard B-17F 42-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS

Other

Mission #1, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24602, 303BG/360BS

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Moosburg, Germany 23 January 1943 - 10 August 1945 Held at Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Bavaria. Last report date 10-Aug-45. (Discharged)

Other

Mission #9, 2LT John H. Embach, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was struck by a bomb from above but he managed to bale out and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW)

Other

Killed in Action

23 May 1952 While on active service in Korea.
Tempe, AZ, USA

Buried

Golden Gate National Cemetery, 1300 Sneath Lane, San Bruno, CA 94006, USA Plot: Section R, Site 288

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added initial assigment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Changed unit from 381 BG to 303 BG as per MACR 15571

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-Feb-2015. Added Middle name of Henry to entry per MACR 15571 to resolve DUPLICATE Problem.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015 Includes data drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / MACR 15571,Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database during the original data ingest.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Corrected aircraft association from original data ingest per MACR 15571.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; crafted a new Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE, added SN, decoration and crew position per MACR 15571 and 303rd Bomb Group website crew list, Gary Moncur, historian.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

381st Bomb Group Memorial Assoiciation, March 1999; MACR 1873, 8th AF Losses / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1873 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database