Frederick Teseler Prasse

Military
media-24722.png UPL 24722 Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of the 407th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" after being rescued and brought to an airbase in England. 11 September 1943..."
The legend lists all men as Staff or Technical Sergents, except Pilot Captain Frederick Prasse (standing far right) and has typos in some names. One man is missing from the ten-man crew on board # 42-29965 which had to ditch in the English Channel on return from the 6 September 1943 mission to Stuttgart.
Standing, left to right : Tail Gunner S/Sgt Rolland A. Galloway; Radio Operator T/Sgt Laurence E. Dennis; Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Joseph F. Thornton; Bombardier 2nd Lt Fred Champion; Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Otto F. Trammer; Pilot Captain Frederick T. Prasse.
Front, from left to right : Engineer/Top Turret Gunner S/Sgt John Geegee; Ball Turret Gunner John W. Disher; Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Charles H. Hartnett. (The missing man from the photo is Navigator 2nd Lt David C. Besbris).

Added media

Object Number - UPL 24722 - Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of the 407th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" after being rescued...

Graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1940. Received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserve Corps. Called to active duty, November 1940. Entered the Armored Force School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, he transferred to the USAAF. Trained as a Pilot and received his wings at Turner Field, Albany, Georgia in August 1942. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group/407th Bomb Squadron in England. He was involved in a mid-air collison piloting B-17 # 42-3184 on a training flight at Alconbury on 21 July 1943 (collision with B-17 # 42-29853). He was pilot of B17 #42-29965, which went down in the Channel for lack of fuel on return from the Stuttgart mission of 6 September 1943. All ten men on board were rescued by a French boat and returned to base. He was Pilot of B-17 # 42-30711 on the 14 October 1943 mission to Schweinfurt, but had to abort the mission as the plane's #2 supercharger regulator was not functioning properly. Promoted to Captain on 1 November 1943, he flew on a number of operations. Was Co-Pilot to Lt Klyza on board B-17 #42-97778, the 92nd BG leading aircraft on the 4 August 1944 mission to Anklam, Germany. Assistant Group Operations Officer in the 92nd's 325th BS, he flew as Co-Pilot in the Group's lead aircraft (Serial # ?) on the 24 August 1944 mission to Merseburg. He was wounded in the hip during this mission, when a burst of Flak struck the ship on the bomb run. Fred Prasse ended his military career as a Colonel in the USAAF.

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 92nd Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11998665 /O-674111
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39169650
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier / Togglier / Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36048962
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 100th Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 351st Bomb Squadron 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17034210
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner/Radar Controller
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39099087
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 94th Bomb Group 333rd Bomb Squadron 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Fertile Turtle Myrtle
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Lt. Basler and crew
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: U.S.S.. Aliquippa
  • Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 379th Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 92nd Bomb Group 327th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 24 August 1944
  • Date: 4 August 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

New York State 18 September 1918 the son of German-born Carl S. and Louise P. Prasse

Other

Promoted to Captain

1 November 1943

Died

Washington, District of Columbia, United States 15 June 1967
West Brighton, Staten Island, NY, États-Unis
Staten Island, New York, United States

Enlisted

in the Army Reserve Corps

Other

Commission

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant

Other

called to active duty

Pennsylvania, United States

Other

entered the Armored Force School

Fort Knox, Kentucky

Other

transferred to the US Army Air Forces

Other

received his pilot's wings

Turner Field, Albany, Georgia, United States

Buried

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Added details to bio; connection with aircraft and missions
Aborted mission on 42-30711 : http://92ndma.org/missions/43o14schweinfurt.htm
Info about the 4 August 1944 mission with Lt Klyza : http://www.92ndma.org/92nd/326Journal/844.htm
24 August 1944 mission : http://92ndma.org/miscellaneous/Newsletters/missrptaug44.689.pdf
Some details from pages 14-15 at https://chiphi.dynamic.omegafi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2013/2016/1…

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

* US 1930 Census
* 92nd Bomb Group website : http://92ndma.org
* Article about the 6 September 1943 dirching of 42-29965 on page 14 at http://92ndma.org/miscellaneous/Newsletters/newsletter.993.pdf
* Aborted on 14 October 1943 mission to Schweinfurt ith 42-30711 : http://92ndma.org/missions/43o14schweinfurt.htm
* Mention of his being wounded on the Merseburg mission 24 August 1944 on page 1 at http://92ndma.org/miscellaneous/Newsletters/missrptaug44.689.pdf
* Pages 14-15 at
https://chiphi.dynamic.omegafi.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2013/2016/1…
* SSDI - Social Security Death Index

Date
ContributorBrooke M
Changes
Sources

Personal Knowledge- Daughter of Col Prasse

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. 268

Frederick Teseler Prasse: Gallery (1 items)