Wilton Douglas Biggs

Military

Shot down 8 March 1943 in B-17F #41-24514, 306BG/368BS while serving as Navigator. The aircraft was attacked by an FW-190 after Spitfire escort left while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards as Rennes, France. Aircraft was at the tail end of the low squadron. Only the pilot was lost. Other crew became Prisoner of War (POW)s. According to the book "First Over Germany", Biggs broke his ankle On landing and was immediately captured. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-062106
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-789381
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15069779
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37059997
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18040529
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

France 8 March 1943 - 1 June 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland). Officially Returned to Military Control 1-Jun-45. He was also wounded.

Died

Osyka, MS, USA 27 June 1990

Born

Wichita, Kansas, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 6088

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 30-Jul-2015. Corrected German aircraft designation to FW-190.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 30-Jul-2015. Made connections to Decorations, Place and Mission within existing website data; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Edited Summary description with A/C model letter and unit associations, added crew position and target details per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces:, Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; MACR 6088,  Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 89, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp.76-78, Russell Strong Index Cards, 306th BGA Collection,

Data update, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 15 September 2014

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; MACR 6088, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 89, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp.76-78 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 6088 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database