Bliss David Purinton
Military1-May-42 Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Bosie, Idaho. 12-Oct-42 Re-assigend to B-17F 41-24569 [GN-V], "Memphis Tot" 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. 22-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Memphis Tot"
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. The mission target was Osnabruck, Germany, but crew reported guns didn't work so crew turned back. Fighters attacked and Cpt Cole crash landed in the Waddenzee, Holland. Plane broke in two in contact with the water. Surviving crew were pulled from the water by the enemy and became Prisoner of War (POW)s. He was placed in Stalag 17B.
NOTE: NARA puts a 'g' in the name before the 't'. However, 303rd Bomb Group personnel database has it as Purinton, historian, Gary Moncur. Also MACR 15348 has the same spelling. In this case, it is the NARA WWII POW database that is in error.
Participated in 7 Operations (2 were aborted) See Biography events.
POW
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-421603
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Memphis Tot
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 12 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Alliance, Nebraska, USA | 20 June 1920 | |
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 | Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
|
Other Re-assigned to Aircraft |
Bangor, ME, USA | 12 October 1942 | Re-assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS. |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS 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, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS 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 #6, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany. Severe weather force Wing Command to recall the formation. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #7, SSGT Bliss D. Purinton, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - POW |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany. Frozen guns forced the pilot to turn back and the aircraf was attacked by fighters. The pilot mamanged to crashland the stricken aircraft on the edge of the Waddenzee, Holland. He was thrown into the sea but saved by Dutch fishermen who then turned him over to the Germans. POW |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Krems an der Donau, Austria | 6 June 1945 | Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Last Report Date (Discharged in the US) 6-Jun-45. |
|
Died |
Gilroy, California, USA | 27 October 1995 | |
|
Buried |
Gilroy, California, USA | Gavilan Hills Memorial Park |
Revisions
Added middle name per MACR 15348.
Added Born, Died & Buried events per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 88910810.
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 2-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Dec-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Dec-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Re-Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and re-assignment and arrival in UK infot to Summary Biography; Made connections to all missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position to Biography per 303rd Bomb Group website record, historian, Gary Moncur. Spelling of name as Purinton was confirmed from MACR 15348 and 303rd Bomb Group website personnel records.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15348 / MACR 15348, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 73, NARA web site , 303rd web site mission report / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database