Philip M Ball
Military ROLL OF HONOURBTG, Perot crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Lost 11 January 1944 on mission #59 to the aircraft factories at Oschersleben, Germany. B-17F #42-5878 'Yankee Eagle' was rammed by an FW 190 between the #1 and #2 engines, knocking off the wing. The ship exploded and crashed. MACR 1874. Killed in Action (KIA). Buried in the Ardennes AMC.
Corvallis, OR
The 1st Bomb Wing/381st BG did not hear the recall while over the continent. 180 out of 700 bombers continued the mission without fighter cover. The 533rd BS lost 6 of 9 aircraft. The 381st BG earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37328620
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34408851
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator / Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-682093
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16101413
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32626389
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator, Togglier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Badger's Beauty, Yankee Eagle
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 533rd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 11 January 1944
- Date: 31 December 1943
- Date: 24 December 1943
- Date: 13 December 1943
![Personnel of the 94th Bomb Group at a mission briefing. A censor has obscured the maps and charts in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press'[stamp],'Passed for publication 14 December 1943.'[stamp] '296691.'[Censor no] Printed caption on reverse: 'Operations Room at US Air Base. Preparing for take off. Associated Press photo shows: Col.F. W. Castle, Group Commanding Officer, gives the massed crews of the base the last part of the briefing, and a personal 'Godspeed' and 'Good Luck' in](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-408449.jpg.webp?itok=nKEJNh_9)
- Date: 11 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Ardennes American Cemetery, Liege, Belgium
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Based Killed in action |
16 November 1943 - 11 January 1944 | ||
|
Other Killed in Action |
Germany | 11 January 1944 | |
|
Born |
Corvallis, Oregon | ||
|
Buried |
Plot D Row 1 Grave 41 |
Revisions
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- 381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999, Roll of Honor;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from :
MACR 1874 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1874, 8th AF Losses,
href="www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx">www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx>