John Franklin Simpson

Military

Ditched into North Sea off the Frisian Island of Norderney, Germany on 6 October 1944 in B-17 'Red Hot Mama' #43-37821. He and the 8 other crew members were on board a rescue raft when they were captured by a German patrol boat 6-7 October 1944. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 447th Bomb Group.

447th Bomb Group

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

People

Anthony Vincent Carnesi

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32713454
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Thomas Richard Davis

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38607355
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Virgil William Ethridge

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19181828 at enlistment, then O-776890
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier, Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner

Vladimir Andrew Mateyka

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12122352 at enlistment, then O-823904
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Keith Webster McCall

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12177445 at enlistment, then O-827878
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Aircraft

43-37821

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Red Hot Mama
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 710th Bomb Squadron 711th Bomb Squadron

Missions

667

  • Date: 6 October 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

7 November 1925 Sherman, Grayson County, Texas

Enlisted

6 November 1943 Dallas, Terxas

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

6 October 1944 Stalag Luft 4 - NARA WW II POW record : “Returned to Military Control 8 June 1945.”

Other

Discharged

26 November 1945

Died

17 May 2003

Born

Cleburne, Johnson County, Texas

Buried

Hopewell Cemetery, Cleburne, Texas

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 9779
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft Card
NARA WWII POW records
VA Gravesite Locator

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 9779

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Corrected date of crash from 10/6/44 to 6 October 1944. See:
MACR 9779
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/MACRmonthly/44OctMACR.htm;
http://accident-report.com/Serials/1943h.htm;
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/dblist.php?AcType=B17&page=12;

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9779 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Unit History Roster, Enlisted Men of the 710th Squadron/ MACR 9779