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Arthur L Poston Jr

Military

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Killed in Action (KIA) 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. He went to Bassingbourn from MacDill Field about November/December 1942. He was on his 17th mission. The pilot (Lt. Baxley) told his parents in a letter that they were approaching the submarine pens in Kiel, Germany when they received a lot of flak and numerous hits from the German fighters. Four members bailed out as the plane fell, and the remainder died in the crash. Lt. Baxley stated further in his letter that he asked T/Sergeant. Poston to drop bombs, after it was apparent that the crash was imminent.

AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH

Service

People

  • Edwin Baxley

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Arthur Berkovitz

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • James Breeden

    Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • James Fulmer

    Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Jarvis Hall

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier, Bombardier; Togglier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • William Peeler

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • William Rathgeber

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Harrell Thompson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Eugene Trimble

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
    Shot down 19 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24483 'Spirit of Alcohol'. Killed in Action (KIA).

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Units served with

Aircraft

  • 41-24453 Mizpah - The Bearded Lady, The Bearded Beauty

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-O] Bangor 29/8/42; Bassingbourn 29/9/42; in taxi accident with John Hardin 18/11/42 at RNAS Yeovilton; MIZPAH - THE BEARDED LADY aka THE BEARDED BEAUTY. ...

  • 41-24483 Spirit of Alcohol

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-U] Bangor 2/9/42; Bassingbourn 29/9/42; Missing in Action Kiel 19/5/43 with Edwin Baxley, Co-pilot: Jim Breeden, Navigator: Jim Fulmer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jarvis Hall (4 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Arthur L...

  • 41-24484 'The Bad Egg'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-C] Bangor 31/8/42; Bassingbourn 1/10/42; on return from Cognac 43+m 31/12/43, diverted through weather to Gt Dunmow, Andrews Field, then Hunsdon Afd, with Hilary Evers, Co-pilot: Paul McDuffee, Navigator: Frank Keneley,...

  • 41-24497 Possibly 'Mizpah II' on one side, 'Frisco Jinny' on the other

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered ? ?; with Jim Dale force landed Berry Fd, Nashville, TN 15/8/42; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-P] Westover 16/8/42; Bassingbourn 30/9/42; Missing in Action on the aircraft's 26th mission, to Stuttgart on 6 September 1943 with Pilot William R. Cox;...

  • 41-2577

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Barksdale 9/2/42; Cheyenne 10/5/42; Walla Walla 29/6/42; Pendleton 11/8/42; Boise 26/10/42; Topeka 1/12/42; 384BG Wendover 2/1/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 9/10/45.

  • 42-5712 'HEAVYWEIGHT ANNIHILATORS II', 'MY PRAYER'

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 20/8/42; Wayne 6/11/42; West Palm Beach, Fl 14/12/43; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-S] Bassingbourn 1/1/43 HEAVYWEIGHT ANNIHILATORS II; battle damaged 22/6/43, repaired & transferred 324BS; 17m crash landed Manston on return from...

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 31

    27 January 1943
    First successful attack by 8th Air Force into Germany. The 306th Bomb Group gets the distinction of being the first American Bomb Group to drop bombs on Germany. O Original target was Vegesack but clouded over. Col. Frank Armstrong lead the group. Two...

  • VIII Bomber Command 33

    4 February 1943
    The marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany are again designated as the primary target for this mission follwing the abortive attempt of 2-Feb-43. However, weather and extreme cold frustrate this operation also. The main attacking force consists of 65 B-17s...

  • VIII Bomber Command 37

    26 February 1943
    After 10 days of weather related delays of the bomber offensive, a mission is organised with the port facilities of Emden, Germany as the primary target. However, Emden is obscured by cloud cover and all formations divert to attack the port facilities...

  • VIII Bomber Command 41

    8 March 1943
    The railroad marshalling yards at Rennes and Rouen, France are the primary targets for this mission. A formation comprised of 67 B-17s: 91BG (14); 303BG (19); 305BG (16) and 306BG (18) is despatched to bomb at Rennes. Conditions are good with no cloud...

  • VIII Bomber Command 45

    18 March 1943
    The U-Boat pens at Vegesack-Bremen are the primary target of this mission. 76 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (18) and 306BG (20). These are joined by 17 B-24's: 44BG (9) and 93BG (15). Of the 103 aircraft despatched 97 are effective...

  • VIII Bomber Command 46

    22 March 1943
    The U-Boat pens and harbour facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany are the primary target for this mission. 76 B-17's are despatched: 91BG (21); 303BG (18); 305BG (18); and 306BG (19). These are joined by 26 B-24's: 44BG (12) and 93BG (14). Of this force...

  • VIII Bomber Command 47

    28 March 1943
    The railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/Sotteville are the primary target. 79 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (22); 303BG (18); 305BG (19); 306BG (20). Of the 79 B-17's despatched 70 are effecrive on the target. One B-17 is MIA and 9 are damaged. The bomber...

  • VIII Bomber Command 49

    4 April 1943
    The Renault armament and motor works at Paris, France are the primary target of this mission. 97 B-17s are despached: 91BG (26); 303BG (23); 305BG (18); and 306BG (30). 85 of the 97 despatched are effective on the target. Fighter resistance is heavy...

  • VIII Bomber Command 50

    5 April 1943
    The industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is the primary target of this mission. More specifically the Erla aircraft and engine factories are the highest priority. 79 B-17s are depatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (21); 305BG (18); 306BG (20). 64 of the 79 are...

  • VIII Bomber Command 51

    16 April 1943
    The German U-Boat threat to Allied ship convoys and the destruction of the harbour facilities supporting that capability are the number 1 priority of the Combined Bomber Offensive. Thus, the U-boat pens at Lorient, France and the harbour facilities at...

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Associated Place

  • Bassingbourn

    Military site : airfield
    Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...

  • Kimbolton

    Military site : airfield
    Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....

  • Greenland

    Other location

  • MacDill Air Force Base

    Military site : airfield

  • Walla Walla Army Airfield

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
Born Kannapolis, North Carolina 12 May 1919
Died 19 May 1943
Buried Carolina Memorial Park, Concord, North Carolina (Reburial)
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
14020972
Highest rank
Technical Sergeant
Role/job
Bombardier
Awards
  • Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters
  • American Defense Medal
  • Purple Heart

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
30 April 2020 00:44:59 BPoston Changes to place associations
Sources

Bposton, nephew, added Kimbolton.
Date Contributor Update
02 February 2020 20:18:32 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.
Date Contributor Update
05 January 2020 00:46:38 BPoston Changes to place associations and aircraft associations
Sources

Bobby Poston
Date Contributor Update
11 June 2019 00:38:11 BPoston Changes to mission associations
Sources

BPoston
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2018 22:04:56 BPoston Changes to unit associations
Sources

BPoston nephew
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2018 22:00:05 BPoston Changes to aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

BPoston nephew
Date Contributor Update
18 December 2018 21:53:17 BPoston Changes to biography
Sources

BPoston nephew
Date Contributor Update
24 July 2018 23:51:31 BPoston Changes to media associations
Sources

Bobby Poston - nephew
Date Contributor Update
24 July 2018 23:35:13 BPoston Changes to aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Bobby Poston - nephew
Date Contributor Update
18 July 2018 00:26:04 BPoston Changes to biography
Sources

Bobby Poston - nephew
Date Contributor Update
18 July 2018 00:18:49 BPoston Changes to role
Sources

Bobby Poston - nephew
Date Contributor Update
15 May 2018 11:58:20 BPoston Changes to awards, person associations and place associations
Sources

Nephew, Bobby Poston
Date Contributor Update
15 May 2018 01:37:23 BPoston Changes to awards and person associations
Sources

Nephew, Bobby Poston
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:04:09 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / brother, Robert T. Poston, MACR 15632

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