Robert Bangs
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Prisoner of War (POW).
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John Joseph Alexander Jr
Military
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2nd Lt Lawrence Cook Crew: Back Row L to R: Thomas Mikulka-TG; John J Alexander, Jr-WG; Milo Blakely-WG; Jay Joyce-RO; John R Kyler-BGT; John Booth-TT Front Row L to R: Emmett Bell-B; Donald Caylor-N (KIA); Robert Bangs-CP; Lawrence Cook-P
Shot down by fighters and flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423, Prisoner of War (POW).
Service
People
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Emmett Bell
Military | Major | Bombardier | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Prisoner of War (POW). ... -
Milo Blakely
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 Feb 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Evaded (EVD). See the story of his evasion on his page at http://www.evasioncomete.org/fblakelme.html -
John Booth
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and Flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Prisoner of War (POW). ... -
Donald Caylor
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and Flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Wounded, captured, died of wounds on 9 February 1944. Died Of Wounds (DOW). -
Lawrence Cook
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and Flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Initially evaded, helped by Belgian citizens and members of the Comète evasion network. Arrested through denounciation on 28 March 1944. Prisoner... -
Jay Joyce
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator/Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and Flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Prisoner of War (POW). -
John Kyler
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and Flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 February 1944 in B-17F #42-30423. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Thomas Mikulka
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Shot down by fighters and flak on return from mission to Frankfurt on 4 Feb 1944 in B-17F 42-30423. Evaded (EVD). See the story of his evasion at http://www.evasioncomete.org/fmikulktj.html
Units served with
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92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for... -
407th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-30423
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/5/43; Gore 31/5/43; Rapid City 16/6/43; Dow Fd 5/7/43; Assigned 407BS/92BG [PY-P] Alconbury 7/8/43; 326BS [JW-P]. Missing in Action Frankfurt 4 February 1944 with Pilot Lawrence H. Cook (initially evaded; arrested later); Co-pilot...
Missions
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8th Air Force 208
4 February 1944
The railroad marshalling yards at Frankfurt, Germany were focus of this mission, but other railroad marshalling yards in the area were attacked as well. Weather and navigational errors frustrate target acquisition.748 heavy bombers were despatched in a...
Associated Place
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Alconbury
Military site : airfield
Alconbury had been constructed as a satellite airfield for RAF Upwood and Wyton and was used by RAF Squadrons: Nos. 15, 40 and 156. In preparation for the arrival of American heavy bombers, the base was developed in 1942 with the runways extended. When...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Wilmington, Delaware | 18 September 1912 |
| Lived in | 1942 | |
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Wilmington, Delaware |
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| Enlisted | 23 September 1942 | |
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Camden, New Jersey |
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| Prisoner of war | 4 February 1944 – 1945 | |
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Interned at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan/Zagan, Poland. Forced-marched from there to Stalag 7A Moosburg, Germany. Liberated there by US troops 29 April 1945. NARA WWII POW record: "Returned to Military Control 27 August 1945." |
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| Honorably discharged | 9 October 1945 | |
| Buried | 1973 | |
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John Alexander rests at the Cathedral Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware |
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| Died | 21 January 1973 | |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 September 2020 21:00:56 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a space to the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 May 2020 08:22:55 | ED-BB | Changes to middlename and events |
| Sources | ||
It's John J(oseph)... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2020 12:51:01 | ED-BB | Changes to service number, role, biography, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
NARA WWII Enlistment records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:16:05 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2237, 8th AF Losses |
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