Harry Erickson
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 97th Bomb Group
As a bombardier, Erickson occupied the glass cabin in the B-17's nose. It was his job to release the bombs accurately over the target.
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Kenneth K Laud
Military
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17F 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Radio Operator. Prisoner of War (POW).
Service
People
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Joe Gray
Military | Captain | Navigator | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Navigator. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Ned Herzstam
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis' as a Waist Gunner. Prisoner of War (POW) -
William Lynch
Military | Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
On 12 August 1942, a fire in a/c B-17E 41-9115 forced crew to bail out during a training flight. Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Kenneth Maeran
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as a Waist Gunner. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Francis Schwarzenbek
Military | Captain | Pilot / Intelligence, S-2 Officer | 379th Bomb Group
On 14 August 1942, a fire in B-17E #41-9115 forced crew to bail out during a training flight. All Returned to Duty (RTD) ... -
Mitchell Small
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA) -
William Tingle
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17F 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Co-Pilot. Killed in Action (KIA). -
George Whitham
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as Tail Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA)
Units served with
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97th Bomb Group
Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the... -
342nd Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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41-24441 Francis X
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 326BS/92BG at Bangor 31-Jul-42; Transferred to 326BS/97BG Polebrook 12-Aug-42. Missing in Action 21-Oct-42 while on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient . 6KIA 4POW. FRANCIS X. ...
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 15
21 October 1942
German U-Boat pens are Lorient, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission along with the German airfield at Cherbourg, France. 93BG despatches 24-B-24s to Lorient, but cloud cover prevents them from bombing. The main attack force to Lorient...
Associated Place
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Polebrook
Military site : airfield
Polebrook was laid down for RAF Bomber Command use in 1940-1941. Built by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd, it had short runways which were lengthened for USAAF heavy bomber use. The RAF used the base for operational trials - including of B-17 Flying...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | Krems an der Donau, Austria | 12 October 1942 – 31 May 1945 |
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Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf, near Krems, Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 31-May-45 |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 March 2019 10:58:31 | ED-BB | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Conections with other crew members |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 November 2014 21:53:06 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 17-Nov-2014. Added POW event. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 October 2014 19:18:35 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to service number, biography, events, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 27-Oct-2014. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:17:56 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 p.38 |
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