Eugene W Eckard

Military

Originally assigned to the 92BG at Bovington as part 1LT Charles N. Austin's crew at Bovington, UK as an arial gunner. Aircraft assignment with the 92BG and the number of missions flown with 92nd Group have not yet been determined.



The Austin crew was transferred as a replacement crew to the 303BG/358BS on 10-Feb-43 at which time SGT Eckard was assigned to B-17F #41-24558 "Hunga Dunga" as a Waist Gunner. He participated in 9 operations (2 were aborts) with the 303BG. (See Biography Events).



Shot down by flak and fighters 18th March 1943 in B-17F #41-24558 [VK:F] 'Hunga Dunga', 303BG 358BS while serving as Left Waist Gunner. Target was submarine yards at Vegesack, Germany. 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

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
The insignia of the 92nd Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hunga Dunga
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Hunting Club
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Group

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 10 February 1943 Assigned with the crew of 1LT Charles N. Austin from 92BG to B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS.

Other

Mission #1 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS - Recalled

Hamm, Germany 14 February 1943 Assigned as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS. Mission was to bomb the industrial areas of Hamm, Germany, mission was recalled. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 16 February 1943 Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS - Aborted

Wilhelmshaven, Germany 26 February 1943 Assigned as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. However, the bombardier suffered altitude sickness and the pilot aborted the mission. RTB OK

Other

Mission #4 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Brest, France 27 February 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17FG 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Brest, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Rotterdam, Netherlands 4 March 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17FG 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga" on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/42-5432, 303BG/358BS

Lorient, France 6 March 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-5432 "The Hunting Club", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the power station and adjacent bridge at Lorient, France. The crew was that of 1LT Charles N. Austin which had been flying B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga". That aircraft was not despatched as part of the formation. It is probable that it had received some minor damage on the previous mission to Rotterdam. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Rennes, France 8 March 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rennes, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Amiens, France 13 March 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Amiens, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War - Camp 1

Moosburg, Germany 18 March 1943 - 13 October 1943 Held at Stalag 7B, Moosburg, Bavaria. Moved to Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf, Austria.

Other

Mission #9 SGT Eugene W. Eckhard, w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS

Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany 18 March 1943 Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Germany. The aircraft crashed on the flats of the Jadebusen (Jade Bight) south of Williamshaven and he was captured as a Prisoner of War.

Other

Prisoner of War - Camp 2

Krems an der Donau, Austria 14 October 1943 - 3 May 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Genikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Liberated 3-May-45.

Other

Last Report Date - Discharged

15 June 1945 Evacuated to the United States after his liberation from Stalag 17B and discharged from the USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - "participated" was misspelled.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-May-2016. Added Last Report Date event per NARA WWII POW Database record.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-May-2016. Added POW Camp 1 event per Stalag 7A records: http://www.b24.net/pow/stalag7.htm

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 13-Mar-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 8-Mar-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 6-Mar-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 4-Mar-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 27-Feb-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 26-Feb-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 14-Feb-43.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Group event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Charles N. Austin crew page.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Made connections to all missions participation per research of 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Misson Reports.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Dec-2015. Made connections to 92BG, Bovington and 42-5432 per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Charles N. Austin crew page.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 4-Aug-2015. Added Decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Made connection to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited Summary Biography with A/C model letter, Radio Call Letters, Unit association and crew position per MACR 15149. Added loss details to Summary Biography 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 / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey, p. 91, 303rd web site