On 6 September 1942 while serving as Ball Turret Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24516 'Meltin' Pot' the aircraft lost 2 engines off Londonderry after flight from Newfoundland and was ditched off of Magilligan Point, Northern Ireland. The aircraft came down in shallow water and all ten crew walked ashore.



19-May-1943, was in B-17 42-29786 which crashed at Dunsby in a training accident.



Shot down 21 May 1943 in B-17 42-3214. Prisoner of War (POW) Stalag 17B. Careful research concluded he was shot down by an Me-109 flown by Uffz Helmut Beckmann of 2/JG-27. Resides in Canton, Ohio. First Over Germany reveals he was the hero getting other crewmen out of the stricken plane. Captured immediately and taken to Wilhelmshaven Naval Base and in front of Admiral Doenitz who was there. Spent nine days at Dulag Luft interrigation Center. Sent to Stalag 7A Moosberg, then to Stalag 17B; then forced marched west and then liberated in the woods by tank division of Patton's 3rd Army 02 May 1945.



He completed 16 missions.



He was the first enlisted combat man assigned to the 368th. He was also the so called Sqd. Artist and painted all of the planes' titles and pictures on the noses. He did a couple planes for other Sqd. Crews. He also painted the squadron insignias on the ceiling of the Aero Club at Thurleigh for Mrs. Hesther Levitts, Red Cross prop. He was in April 2003 President of the 306th Association.



ETO/ WWIIV/ AM/ GC/ POW; PH; DFC