Leonard E Thornton
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
(Back L-R)
1st Lt Lawrence G Dunnica (Pilot), 2nd Lt Orson E Pacey (CoPilot), 1st Lt Leonard E Thornton (Nav), 2nd Lt James H Montgomery (Bomb
(Front L-R)
T/Sgt Harry W Tucker (Eng), S/Sgt Philip T Cascio (Ball), T/Sgt Bertis W Holland (Radio), S/Sgt Robert L Dew (R Waist), S/Sgt Claude F Taylor (Tail).
Object Number - UPL 19175 - B-17F 41-24541 'Spook' Lawrence G Dunnica crew 358th BS, 303rd BG, 8th AF USAAF. (Back L-R) 1st Lt Lawrence G Dunnica (Pilot), 2nd Lt Orson E Pacey...
2LT Leonard E. Thornton was assigned as Navigator with the Lawrence G. Dunnica crew on B-17F 41-24541 [VK-B] "Spook" 303BG/358BS at Kellog Field, Battle Creek, Michigan on 3-Sep-42. He arrived with the aircraft on 24-Oct-42 at Molesworth, UK. He participated in 11 Operations - 3 Aborted with B-17F 41-24541 and 2 Operations - 1 aborted with B-17F 41-24577 (See Biography events)
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24541 'Spook' while serving as Navigator. The aircraft was attacked by ME-109s when it descended to assist another aircraft. Went down in Channel off Brest Peninsula. The target was St. Nazaire. Killed in Action (KIA). 4 crew members survived to become Prisoner of War (POW)s. 303rd personnel list and Losses show him as navigator.
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
Missions
![B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group fly over countryside. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 16 Feb 1943.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: '7-12 Liberator planes of U.S. Bomber Command in flight at the start of an operational patrol from their base "somewhere in England". And February 17th 1943 PN'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379113.jpg.webp?itok=PMFn3r3H)
- Date: 16 February 1943
- Date: 14 February 1943
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 23 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Battle Creek, MI, USA | 3 September 1942 | Assigend as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS at Kellog Field, Battle Creek, Michigan |
|
Other Arrived at Station |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 24 October 1942 | Arrived with B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS at Molesworth, UK. |
|
Other Mission #1 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. (RTB OK). |
|
Other Mission #2 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #3 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lillie, France. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #4 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. |
|
Other Mission #5 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #6 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. |
|
Other Mission #7 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the torpedo storage areas at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. |
|
Other Mission #8 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the Fives Company Locomotive Works at Lillie, France (RTB OK). |
|
Other Mission #9 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #10 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24577, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24577 "Hell's Angels", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. |
|
Other Mission #11 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24577, 303BG/358BS |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24577 "Hell's Angels", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany (RTB OK). |
|
Other Mission #12 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 14 February 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but weather forced the recall of the entire 303BG despatch (RTB OK) |
|
Other Mission #13 2LT Leonard E. Thornton w/B-17F 41-24541, 303BG/358BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 16 February 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24541 "Spook", 303BG/358BS to bomb the port area at St. Nazaire, France. Aircraft was shot down by fighters and he was Killed in Action (KIA). |
|
Born |
Texas | ||
|
Other Commemorated |
Saint-James, France | Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery. | |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
English Channel | 16 February 1943 | Killed when aircraft was shot down by fighters and crashed into the English Channel off of the Brest Peninsula, France. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #13 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 16-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #12 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 14-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #11 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 4-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #10 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 2-Feb-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 13-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 3-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 30-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 12-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 22-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft and Arrival at Station events per 303BG website Lawrence G. Dunnica crew page, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-dunnica.html
Lee Cunningham 17-Aug-2015. Added Operations participation to Summary Biography and Made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303Bg website Mission Reprots, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html
Lee Cunningham 19-Feb-2015 . Corrected SN added KIA event per MACR 15476; Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position and minor edits to Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15476 / MACR 15476, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 77, Might in Flight Daily Diary of Hell's Angels by Harry Gobrect pp. 137-8 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database