Earle J Dumont

Military
media-19176.jpeg UPL 19176 B-17F Hell Cat (aka No Monkey Business) 41-24580 (VK-C) 358th BS, 303rd BG, 8AF USAAF.
Crew: [In no particular order]
1st Lt Oran T O'Connor (Pilot), 2nd Lt Eldon T Ruppe (CoPilot), 2nd Lt Bruce W Gordon (Nav),
2nd Lt Earl J Dumont, Jr. (Bomb), Capt Richard E Van Holdt (Group Weather Officer), T/Sgt Bernard H Koenig (Eng), Sgt Bernard A Gergash (Radio), Sgt Sidney V Hall (Gunner), Sgt Jesse R Kinney (Gunner), Sgt Frank L Batterson (Tail).

Object Number - UPL 19176 - B-17F Hell Cat (aka No Monkey Business) 41-24580 (VK-C) 358th BS, 303rd BG, 8AF USAAF. Crew: [In no particular order] 1st Lt Oran T O'Connor...

15-Sep-42 Assigned as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24580 [VK-C] "Hellcat Agnes", 303BG/358BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Hellcat Agnes"



On 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes", 303BG/358BS while serving as Bombardier the aircraft was downed by fighters near Brest. He was able to parachute to safety and was captured and became Prisoner of War (POW).



Participated in 6 Operations - 3 Aborted (See Biography events)

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

Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Beats Me
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hellcat Agnes : No Monkey Business
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Shak Hak
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Biggs Field, TX 79918, USA 15 September 1942 Assigned as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes", 303BG/358BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Bombardier aboard B-17F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes", 303BG/358BS

Other

Mission #1 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17 F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission (RTB OK)

Other

Mission #2 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17 F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yars at Rouen, France. (RTB OK)

Other

Mission #3 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17 F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France but mechanical failures force the Pilot to abort the mission.

Other

Mission #4 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS 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 #5 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Bombardier on B-17 F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Zagan, Poland 23 January 1943 - 24 June 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 24-Jun-45.

Other

Mission #6 1LT Earle J. DuMont, Jr. w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS - POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Bombardier on B-17 F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was shot down by fighters but he baled out and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW).

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Inserted Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf Re-numbered Missions # 5 and #6.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Corrected Participations statement, he flew in more than one squadron with 303BG which caused me to miss the mission of 30-Dec-42.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Made connection to 30-Dec-42 mission per 303BG Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf; corrected mission count changing previous Mission #4 event to Mission #5 event.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Oran T O'Conner crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Oran T O'Conner crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Units, Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Oran T O'Conner crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission $#4 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Garu Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gary Moncur; Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 12-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Operations participation to Summary Biography and made connections to Missions per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added decoration, SN and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Corrected Role/Job per 303rd Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html; Made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited descritpion per "Losses of the 8th & 9th 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 / Unit history, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65-66, MACR 15473

Earle J Dumont: Gallery (1 items)