Homer R Allen

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

15-Jul-42 Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 42-2967 [PU-G] "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Shak Hak"



16-Feb-42 Shot down in B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS The aircraft was attacked by fighters and crashed in the English Channel. Killed in Action (KIA).



1st Lieutenant Homer R. Allen was born on January 22, 1919, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Floyd Allen. He was married to Dorothy Fay Allen. His hometown was Ventura, California, and he was a 1942 graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He also was a member of the campus Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). He received his commission as an officer on July 4, 1942.



On February 16, 1943, he was bombardier on “Shack Hak,” B-17F 42-2967, of the 303rd Bomb Group, 360th Bomb Squadron. Their target was the German submarine base at St. Nazaire, France. One witness stated that the plane “went down in water off Brest, France.” Neither LT Allen nor any member of his crew was ever recovered.



Participated in 5 Operations (NO Aborts) 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: Shak Hak
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Ventura, California 22 January 1919 1st Lieutenant Homer R. Allen was born on January 22, 1919, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Floyd Allen. He was married to Dorothy Fay Allen. His hometown was Ventura, California, and he was a 1942 graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He also was a member of the campus Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). He received his commission as an officer on July 4, 1942.

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 15 July 1942 Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak" at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS.

Other

Mission #1, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

18 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

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

Other

Mission #5, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 16 February 1943 Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shot down by fighters and crashed into the sea, He was Killed in Action. (KIA)

Other

Commemorated

Saint-James, France Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany Amercian Cemetery.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

English Channel 16 February 1943 On February 16, 1943, he was bombardier on “Shack Hack,” B-17 tail #42-2967, of the 303rd Bomb Group, 360th Bomb Squadron. Their target was the German submarine base at St. Nazaire, France. One witness stated that the plane “went down in water off Brest, France.” Neither LT Allen nor any member of his crew was ever recovered.

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 24-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303Bg website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 23-Jan-43) and Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html

Date
Changes
Sources

IDPF and/or crash report researched by Bill Beigel. IDPF donated to American Air Museum by Bill Beigel. For more information about this flyer, you may contact http://ww2research.com.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15116 / MACR 15116, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Heys pp. 77-78 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database