Melvin H Breckenridge

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-3310 'Blood, Guts and Rust'. Plane ditched into Mediterranean Sea. Returned to base.

Shot down 10 October 1943 in B-17 #42-3328 'Miss Fortune', Killed in Action (KIA).

Connections

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Units served with

390th Bomb Group

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

568th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Wade Hampton Sneed

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-794590
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-30289

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: The Douche Bag, The Dull Tool
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

42-30330

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Blood, Guts & Rust II
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

42-3310

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Blood, Guts and Rust
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

42-3328

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Miss Fortune
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

42-5984

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Rusty Lode, Buckshot Blues, Buckshot Annie
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron 570th Bomb Squadron

Missions

A B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-30233) of the 95th Bomb Group in flight during a mission over Munster, B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-6414) nicknamed "Herky Jerky II" (circled) breaks formation due to damage. Printed caption on reverse of print: '26414 AC - Munster, Germany (Oct 10, 1943), disabled Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" in flight. U.S. Air Force Photo. 10-10-43.'

VIII Bomber Command 114

Date: 10 October 1943

VIII Bomber Command 108

Date: 4 October 1943

VIII Bomber Command 106

Date: 2 October 1943

The wing of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5888) nicknamed "Elusive Elcy" of the 94th Bomb Group flies off as a result of a direct hit, during a mission over Emden. Handwritten caption on reverse: '94 BG. 27/9/43.' Printed caption on reverse: 'A DRAMATIC INCIDENT DURING THE AIR WAR OVER EUROPE: A WING BREAKS OFF A FLYING FORTRESS DURING A DAYLIGHT BATTLE, AND THE STRICKEN BOMBER BEGINS TO TURN OVER AS IT STARTS ON THE WAY DOWN TO EARTH. This picture illustrates one of the hazards which the big A

VIII Bomber Command 104

Date: 27 September 1943

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3352) nicknamed "Virgin's Delight" flies in formation with fellow aircraft of the 94th Bomb Group. Printed caption on reverse: ''53031 AC - Boeing B-17's in flight revealing new bomb racks U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO - 1361st Photographic Squadron Aerospace Audio-Visual Services (MAC).' First handwritten caption on reverse: '26/9 no Bombing- weather. 26/9/43' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'B-17 Flying Fortress 6737. 3 of 6 pics.'

VIII Bomber Command 103

Date: 26 September 1943

Places

A bomber crew of the 390th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-31027) nicknamed "Honey Chile" and their dog and monkey mascots "Scrappy" and "Joe". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Fox.’ [stamp], ‘passed for publication 25 Oct 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘289774.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ‘AERIAL MASCOTS OF FORTRESS CREWS. PH/MoN. As frisky and friendly a pair of aerial mascots as you'll find in Britain are "Scrappy" and "Joe", pup and monkey team belonging to the

Framlingham

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Parham

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Pondcreek, Oklahoma, USA	25 August 1920
Enlisted	Oklahoma City, OK	19 January 1942
Other Killed in Action (KIA)	Vondsundern, Germany	10 October 1943	- Miss Fortune (23328-D, 568): cruelly living up to its namesake, the "Mis Fortune" was struck by a rocket and collided with "Miss Behavin" (23415-Q, 571). The aircraft then broke in two and crashed. Three members of the crew (William E. Wenckens, John W. Danielsen, and Carl F. Spirito) survived, but were subsequently taken prisoner by the Germans.
Other Shot Down/Ditched/Rescued	Med. Sea, 13 miles off Annaba (Bone), Algeria	17 August 1943
Buried	Pond Creek, OK		Pond Creek Cemetery Pond Creek, Grant County, Oklahoma, USA

Revisions

Date30 Mar 2023 20:04:15

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Corrected a typo in the A/C "Description" - "Miss" was misspelled.

Date27 Nov 2020 00:29:13

Contributor466thHistorian

Changes

Sources

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2375/images/40050_6440…
http://5085.sydneyplus.com/final/portal.aspx?lang=en-US
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/53941984/melvin-h.-breckenridge/pho…
http://www.ww2enlistment.org/index.php?page=directory&rec=1516867

Date10 Apr 2020 03:59:10

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:20:02

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 396 / MACR 396; MACR 861 / MACR 861 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database