Wallace Niel Soderberg

Military

Shot down 30 July 1943 in B-17 #42-30202 Initially evaded in Belgium. Captured 4 September 1943 in France. Prisoner of War (POW). See the story of his evasion and capture at https://www.evasioncomete.be/fsoderbwn.html

Connections

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

Units served with

388th Bomb Group

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

563rd Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Donald Morris Boyd

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 12168148
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Robert James Hoke

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-673572
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Navigator

Orville Winfard Lewis

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 38188080
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Ralph Thadus May

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 34312218
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Harlan Charles Oakberg

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 16074184
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Aircraft

42-30202

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

A Dutch soldier surveys the wreckage of a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 381st Bomb Group that has crashed near Apeldoorn. First Handwritten caption on reverse: '381BG, 30/7/43 by Fighters.' Second Handwritten caption on reverse: '42-3100, 381 BG, 532 BS. 3 KM SE of Apeldoorn, 30-7-43 10:45 Hrs. RNAF'

VIII Bomber Command 80

Date: 30 July 1943

Places

Stalag Luft III

Site type: Prisoner of war camp
Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event	Date	Description
Born	8 September 1921	Salt Lake City, Utah
Other evaded capture	30 July 1943 - 4 September 1943	helped by Belgian citizens and members of the Comete evasion network
Other captured	4 September 1943	in Charleville-Mézières, France
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	4 September 1943	Interned Stalag Luft 3 Sagan; liberates by US troops at Stalag 7A Moosburg
Died	10 September 1967	San Francisco, California
		Salt Lake City, Utah

Revisions

Date4 May 2021 12:35:20

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

MACR 3125
Research for his page at https://www.evasioncomete.be/fsoderbwn.html

Date11 Jan 2021 21:48:42

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added POW Camp info to the POW event and a S/N from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Added a connection to Stalag Luft 3 per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date11 Jan 2021 21:44:06

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:26:43

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3125 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database