Charles R Esparza
MilitaryUploaded on behalf of Michael Fontanarosa.
Shot down over France on 21 September 1943 in B-26B 41-31721 'Cactus Jack', 387BG/559BS while serving as Co-Pilot while on a mission to bomb the German airfield of Beauvais/Tille, France. He baled out of the aircraft and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Dulag Luft. Stalag Luft III. March to Stalag Luft VIIA until 29 April 1945. Then to Camp Lucky Strike and home.
AM/ DFC
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-26 Marauder
- Nicknames: Cactus Jack
- Unit: 387th Bomb Group 559th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 21 September 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Willingale
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Moosburg, Germany | 21 September 1943 - 29 April 1945 | Held at Stalag Luft 3 and then at Stalag 7A. Moosburg, Bavaria. Libertated 29-Apr-45. Returned home 10-Aug-1945. |
Born |
Revisions
Charles, now deceased, was my uncle. He achieved the rank of major.
Lee Cunningham 26-Jun-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administrtion (NARA) WWII POW database; Corrected rank, added Place, AIrcraft and Mission per MACR 614; Added crew position and aircraft loss details to Summary Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9ht AIr Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self