41-24471 Four of a Kind

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.' media-379028.jpg FRE 1162 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.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1162 - 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...

Assigned 369BS/306BG [WW- ] Westover 17-Aug-42; Thurleigh 2-Oct-42; Missing in Action 13-Jan-43 on a mission to bomb the railroad factories of Ateliers D'Hellemmes at Lille, France. Due to a mid-air collision with 41-24498, aircraft was sliced in two and three crew members were trapped in the tumbling sections but the survivors were either thrown clear or managed to scramble out. Aerial Gunner Sgt. Thomas D. McMahon managed to evade capture until 24-Apr-43 when he was captured in Brussels, Belgium. 3 KIA 7 POW MACR 15502.

P Capt James A. Johnston (KIA); CP Capt Doyle L. Dugger (KIA)

N 1Lt Frank J. Jacknik (POW); B 1Lt Shedrick B. Jones (POW)

E/TTG SSgt Clyde M. Bennett; RO TSgt Robert L. Stevenson (POW)

AG Sgt Thomas D. McMahon (EVD/POW); WG SSgt Charles T. Tipton (KIA)

WG SSgt John P. Morrison (POW); TG Sgt Fred J. Zdobylak (POW)

Connections

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

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.

306th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Clyde M Bennett

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6942738
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer

Doyle L Dugger

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-437912
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot, Pilot

Frank J Jacknik

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20622635 and O-725983
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

James A Johnston

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18002305 and O-406692
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Shedrick Evans Jones

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18058499 and O-726031
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Missions

Aircraft

41-24498

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Aérodrome de Lille - Marcq-en-Barœul, Av du général de Gaulle, 59910 Bondues, France 13 January 1943 Aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with B-17F 41-24498, 306BG/369BS near Lille, France. Both aircraft crashed at Marcq-en-Baroeul, France

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added some punctuation to the A/C “Description” to aid readability.

 

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Completed Biography

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Associated with Aircraft 41-24498 it collided with

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Corrected typo

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Jan-2015. Added nickname, markings, FTR description and mission details to Description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan bishop & John A. Hey MBE; added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition of cre per MACR 15502; formatted crew display.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15502 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

41-24471: Gallery (1 items)

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.'

Object number: FRE 1162 - A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to...