Charles H Bedell Jr

Military

On return from mission to Oschersleben on 11 Jan 1944, B-17G #42-31090 'Nasty Habit' was instructed to land at RAF Matlask, Norfolk due to poor visibility at Deenethorpe. Upon landing on the grass strip, the a/c overshot the runway and went through two hedgerows and a road. RTD. B-17G #42-31202 turned back at mid-channel on an operational mission on 9 Mar 1944 and the a/c ran off the runway upon landing. RTD. Shot down 28 May 1944 in B-17 #42-102581 'Lonesome Polecat'. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW

Connections

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

Units served with

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'

401st Bomb Group

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

People

Bert B Bessellieu

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34611769
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Togglier/Waist Gunner
Lieutenants Wardlaw Hammon and Walter B Keith, Co-pilot and pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 401st Bomb Group, talk with Captain RJ White. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 12 Dec 1943.' [stamp] and '296491.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Photo shows: The pilot and co-pilot talking with Captain RJ White. Left to right: Lieut Wardlaw Hammond, co-pilot of Philadelphia, Penn: Lieut Walter B Keith, pilot, of Hodgeville, Kentucky: and Capt RJ White of K

Wardlaw McGill Hammond

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Paul Fredrick Scharff

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-803697
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

George Wilson Snodgrass

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20321945
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

42-102581

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lonesome Polecat
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

42-31090

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Nasty Habit
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

42-31202

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Poughkeepsie, New York, USA

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 28 May 1944 Stalag 9C Bad Sulza Saxe-Weimar 51-11

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added S/N and POW camp information from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 5306 / MACR 5306, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=1189 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database