Gardner M Reynolds
MilitaryShot down 30 December 1942 in B-17F 42-2975 while serving as Bombardier. He was able to bale out of the aircraft into the sea and spent 4 hours in the water until he was rescued by a French fisherman. He was the sole survivor. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia Bavaria (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11. He was originally assigned to David Steele crew, but on 30 December 1942 was assigned to Capt. Brady crew because of crew's Bombardier unable to fly mission. 30 December 1942 was Reynold's first and only mission.
POW, PH Gardner Reynolds was a POW until 29 April 1945. He afterwards graduated as a Civil Engineer from Cornell University and joined Dames & Moore engineering. From 1974 until his retirement in 1985 he was Chairman of the executive ctte.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-725547
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Ithaca, New York | 28 October 1918 | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Zagan, Poland | 30 December 1942 - 14 June 1945 | Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) later moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 14-Jun-45. |
|
Died |
17 September 1994 |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 8-Dec-2014. Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; edited biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing information in this database.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Heys Vol. 1 p 56, MACR 15079, First Over Germany, pg 59,