LWG, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting in half at the ball turret. S/Sgt Berk was wounded and dragged to the rear of the waist section by S/Sgt McCook (tail gunner). They both were trapped in the tail section, rode it to the ground and survived. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft IV.
Harrisburg, PA
Service
People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret. S/Sgt Budzik...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret....
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Military | Captain | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the ship in half at the ball turret. Killed in...
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Military | Captain | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft caught fire and exploded, splitting in half at the ball turret. Killed in Action ...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball...
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Military | Captain | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret. 1Lt...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret. Killed in...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Manchester crew. 381st BG, 535th BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29941 'Tarfu'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 884. The aircraft was on fire and exploded, splitting the plane in half at the ball turret. Killed in...
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Units served with
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Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/43; Smoky Hill 26/3/43; Dow Fd 12/4/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 18/4/43 TARFU; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 535BS/381BG [MS-R] Ridgewell 15/7/43 TS TARFU; Missing in Action 15m Bremen 8/10/43...
Missions
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8 October 1943
The shipyards and industrial areas of Bremen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission, but cloud cover causes some formations to bomb targets of opportunity. The attacking elements have been summarized below:
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Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
|
20 May 1920 |
Prisoner of War |
Germany |
8 October 1943 |
Stalag Luft IV
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