Leonard W Kirk

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

10-Jul-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 [BN-S] "Yehoodi", 303BG 358BS at Alamogordo Field, New Mexico. Arrived in the UK at Molesworth, UK on 12-Oct-42 with "Yahoodi" as the first aircraft of the 303BG to arrived in England



Shot down 3 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24608 'Yehudi' while serving as Co-Pilot. Aircraft crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France as a result of severe damage from flak over the target. Killed in Action (KIA). Paricipated in 6 Operations (3 were aborted) See Biography events.



Air medal, Purple Heart

Connections

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

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortresses, including (VK-H, serial number 41-24606) nicknamed "Werewolf", of the 303rd Bomb Group. On reverse: US Army Examiner [Stamp].
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Werewolf
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yehudi
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 12 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS. The first B-17 of the 303BG to arrive in England.

Other

Mission #1, 2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 October 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2,2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24606, 303BG/359BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24606 "Werewolf", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, 2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Belle Île, France 3 January 1943 Killed when aircraft sustained severe damage from flak over the target and crashed into the sea near Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France. His remains have never been recovered.

Other

Mission #6, 2LT Leonard W. Kirk, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - KIA

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. Shot down by German fighters. He was Killed in Action (KIA)

Born

entered service from Texas

Other

Commemorated

Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Madingley Road, Coton, Cambridgeshire CB23 7PH, UK Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission event #2 (renumbered) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42 http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added connections to 41-24606 and mission 1942-11-23 per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/; Corrected mission numbering 2-6.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added 303BG assignment and arrival in UK to Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2015. SN and KIA event per MACR 15720. Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data: Added crash location and crew position to Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 60-61, WWII Memorial web site, MACR 15720