Norman Kossis

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Shot down 3 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24608 'Yehoodi', 303BG/359BS while serving as Bombardier on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Loreint, France. Aircraft crashed into the sea off the Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France. Participated in 7 Operations (4-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

Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Staff Sgt. Richard C. Fortunak, 1260 West 17th Avenue, Gary, Ind., Waist Gunner in a Fortress, which he and his crew mates have named "Hoosier Kid", adjusts gun in his turret. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Cens
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The 8 Ball
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
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 Bombardier of B-17F 41-24608 "Yehudi", 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 Bombardier on B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BG.

Other

Mission #1, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" as a substitute on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK

Other

Mission #2, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 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 #3, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24606, 303BG/359BS

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

Other

Mission #4, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

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

Other

Mission #5, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

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

Other

Mission #6, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 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 off the Belle-Ile-en-Mer, France. His remains have never been recovered.

Other

Mission #7, 2LT Norman Kossis, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - KIA

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" as a substitute on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. KIA.

Born

San Francisco, California

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 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 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 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-12-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event 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 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 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 13-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-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 13-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 13-Dec-2015. Added aircraft 41-24581 and 41-24606, made connections to all mission participations based on my research of 303BG Mission Reports, 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2015. Added 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 information; Added crew position and crash location to Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9ht 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, MACR 15720