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"Lt Taub and crew of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress". England, 1 February 1945."
Rear L-R: 2Lt Francis R Taub, 2Lt John T Cooper Jr, 2Lt Charles Peckham Johnson
Front R-L: S/Sgt Warren F Chrisman, Sgt James Paul Spencer, Sgt James L. Hollowell, S/Sgt Chester Stanley Maluchnik, S/Sgt Michael A Dugan Jr, Sgt Elmer D McWilliams
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 18 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Held A/C level along with pilot for crew to bale out, last seen on catwalk to escape hatch. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 13569
Awards: PH.
See more at : http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/341.pdf
Service
People
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 19 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 Held A/C level for crew to bale out, last seen on catwalk to escape hatch before spin....
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Units served with
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Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 20/12/43; 1SAG Langley 12/1/44; Mitchell 15/1/44; Assigned 482BG (H2X) Alconbury 5/2/44; transferred 422NLS/305BG [JJ-S] Chelveston 20/3/44; 544BS/384BG [SU-X] Grafton Underwood 4/8/44; 358BS/303BG [VK-X] Molesworth 8/44; landing...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 23/12/44; Grenier 3/1/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Molesworth 4/2/45; Missing in Action Hamburg 20/3/45 with Francis Taub, John Cooper, Elmer McWilliams (3 Killed in Action); Chas Johnson, Mike Dugan, Warren Chrisman, Chester...
Missions
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20 March 1945
Narrative - Official Air Force Mission Description
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Associated Place
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Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
23 September 1923 |
Son of John T Snr and Julia A Cooper.
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Enlisted |
Mempis, TN |
5 December 1942 |
Based |
Molesworth |
1944 – 20 March 1945 |
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Died |
Westerade, Germany |
20 March 1945 |
Failed to Return (FTR) Hamburg in B-17 43-39160; Shot down by ME262's, crashed near Westerade on 20-Mar-45 KIA MACR 13569
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Buried |
Calvary Cemetery, Memphis, TN |
1948 |
Re-Interred
Calvary Cemetery
Memphis, Shelby County, TN
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