Edward N Bryant
Military
http://www.303rdbg.com/news/2011-12-18.html (The Molesworth Pilot; 303rd Bomb Group Newsletter)
Object Number - UPL 49652 - Walter Soha, Edward Bryant, Mark McDermott
1-May-42 Assigned as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Bosie, Idaho. 12-Oct-42 Re-assigend to B-17F 41-24569 [GN-V], "Memphis Tot" 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. 22-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Memphis Tot"
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS while serving as Bombardier. The mission target was Osnabruck, Germany, but crew reported guns didn't work so crew turned back. Fighters attacked and Cpt Cole crash landed in the Waddenzee, Holland. Plane broke in two in contact with the water. Surviving crew were pulled from the water by the enemy and became Prisoner of War (POW)s. He was originally placed in Stalag 3 then moved . He was released from Nuremberg area.
Participated in 7 Operations (3 were aboorted) See Biography events.
POW
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-421603
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Memphis Tot
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Bad Check
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
![Captain Albert W. Dieffenback, a bombardier of the 303rd Bomb Group, admires Bugs Bunny painted onto the nose of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed as censored 9 May 1943. Printed caption on reverse: '14. Captain Albert W. Dieffenbach, of Garrett Park, Md., and the bomber in which he flies as group bombardier.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamp].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407609.jpg.webp?itok=_FHnam-K)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: S For Sugar
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 | Assigned as Bombardier of B-17 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho |
|
Other Re-assigned to Aircraft |
Bangor, ME, USA | 12 October 1942 | Re-assigned as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK aa Bombardier aboard B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS. |
|
Other Mission #1, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
6 December 1942 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carraige and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #2, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24587, 303BG/427BS |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Roeun, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #6, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but severe weather forced Wing Command to recall the fomation. RTB OK. |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Hollland | 4 February 1943 - 21 July 1945 | Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 21-Jul-45. |
|
Other Mission #7, 2LT Edward N. Bryant, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - POW |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | Served as Bombardier of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany. Frozen guns forcedd the pilot to turn back and the aircraft was shot down by fighters over Holland. He baled out but was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). |
|
Born |
Alabama |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 2-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Re-Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK to Summary Biography; Made connections Place, Aircraft and all missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Lloyd R. Cole crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-cole.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; corrected SN per MACR 15348; made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position to Biography per 303rd Bomb Group website record, historian, Gary Moncur.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15348 / MACR 15348, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Hey p. 73, NARA web site , 303rd web site mission report / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
