Lawrence Summer Bowers

Military

Shot up on 13th mission--crash landed in oat field in England. Shot down on Kassel mission, 27 September 1944 in B-24 #42-50961 - Lt Reg Miner's crew. 445th lost 25 planes--117 killed, 121 survived. Prisoner of War (POW) for 7 months. 3 months spent at Luft IV. Four months on 800 miles (app. ) through Germany.



EAME Ribbon w/5 Bronze stars, AM 2 Oak Leaf Cluster, PH, GCM, POW medal



1-probable

Connections

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

Units served with

A pathfinder B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51681) of the 453rd Bomb Group flies in formation with a fellow Liberator of the 453rd and and a pathfinder Liberator of the 445th Bomb Group. Image via Alan Rowsell.

445th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

42-50961

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Stalag Luft IV

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania
Signal Squares on the airfield at Tibenham, B-24 Liberators of the 398th Bomb Group are visible in the background. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Tibenham Signal Squares.'

Tibenham

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Tivetshall

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Moreland, Georgia 2 December 1927

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 27 September 1944 Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an association to the 8th AF Mission #650 for 27 Sep 1944 per info in the "Summary biography".

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an association to Tibenham, the home base for the 445th BG.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an association to Stalag Luft 4 per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a POW event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Added a connection to A/C #42-50961 listed in the "Summary biography".

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, MACR 9751 & SECOND AIR DIVISION by Turner Publishing Company, D790.A2S45, 1998, page 214