41-24579 Thumper
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] 17-Feb-42 Gowen Field, Idaho; Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Aircraft damaged by AA fire and enemy fighters on mission to Lorient, France on 23-Jan-43. 11 man crew. Belly-landed at Lulsgate Bottom, Bristol, UK.
Aircraft was too damaged to repair and was salvaged. 6RTD 4WIA 1KOM. No MACR issued.
Aircraft Participated in 7 Operations (2 Aborted). See Biography events for crew information
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37144914
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17015656
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16046842
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16011332
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Photographer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 2nd Bomb Group 303rd Bomb Group 351st Bomb Group 379th Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-364599
- Highest Rank: General
- Role/Job: Commanding Officer
Places
Missions
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Aircraft Assigned to Unit |
17 February 1942 | B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper" assigned to 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. ORIGINAL CREW P 2LT John A. Castle; CP 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons N 2LT Samuel Anderson; B 2LT Louis B. Sinopoli E/TTG TSGT Gene K. Smith; RO SSGT Emilio J, Yannie, Jr. BTG SGT Cecil E. Kraft; LWG Not Assigned RWG SSGT Billie L. Staner; TG SSGT Martin A. Semonick | |
Other Arrived in UK |
16 October 1942 | B-17F 41-24579 arrives at Molesworth, UK. CREW P 2LT John A. Castle; CP 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons N 2LT Samuel Anderson; B 2LT Louis B. Sinopoli E/TTG TSGT Gene K. Smith; RO SSGT Emilio J, Yannie, Jr. BTG SGT Cecil E. Kraft; LWG SSGT Meyer Levin RWG SSGT Billie L. Staner; TG SSGT Martin A. Semonick | |
Other Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) |
23 January 1943 | Aircraft damaged by AA fire and enemy fighters on mission to Lorient, France. 11 man crew. Nine baled out over England, but RWG SSgt Billie L. Staner was killed when his chute failed to open. Pilot and Co-Pilot stayed with the aircraft and made a belly landing at Lulsgate Bottom airfield near Bristol, England. Aircraft was salvaged. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission # 1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Arrival in UK event per 303BG webiste, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016 Added Aircraft Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added original assignment date, location and operational participation statement to Summary Biography; Made connections ot all Mission participations pere 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2015. Corrected typo in DBR event desciption
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Verified crew names and list per 303rd Bomb Group website crew roster, Gary Moncur, historian
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Added nickname, DBR event, edited Description, converted dates to military-style signification, description narration and crew list per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Squadron, Place and Mission within existing website data; formatted crew display.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database