Harlan Charles Oakberg

Military
media-41291.jpeg UPL 41291 Harlan Oakberg, 1943 (photo courtesy of the Oakberg family)

Photo from the Oakberg family

Object Number - UPL 41291 - Harlan Oakberg, 1943 (photo courtesy of the Oakberg family)

Shot down 30 July 1943 in B-17 #42-30202, Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12168148
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-673572
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-325
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38188080
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34312218
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

5 January 1923 Illinois

Enlisted

Peoria, Illinois, USA 10 September 1942

Other

Bailed out

30 July 1943 from A/C #42-30202, over Belgium

Other

Evaded (EVD)

Belgium 30 July 1943 - 28 August 1943 Initially evaded in Belgium, before what the NARA WWII POW record indicates as the date of his capture ("28/8/43")

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Austria 28 August 1943 - 6 June 1945 Interned at Stalag XVIIB in Braunau, near Krems, Austria. NARA WWII POW records: "Returned to Military Control 6 June 1945."

Died

Sacramento, California, USA 10 January 1996

Buried

Rock Island, Illinois, USA Harlan Oakberg rests at the Rock Island National Cemetery.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Updated event locations per info from the event descriptions.
Added a connection to Stalag 17B per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 3125
NARA WWII Enlistment recods
NARA WWII POW records
Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File
Personal research for 42-30202 and its crew for Tail Gunner Donald Boyd's page at http://www.evasioncomete.org/fboyddm.html

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3125 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Harlan Charles Oakberg: Gallery (1 items)