Frank L Batterson
Military
Crew: [In no particular order]
1st Lt Oran T O'Connor (Pilot), 2nd Lt Eldon T Ruppe (CoPilot), 2nd Lt Bruce W Gordon (Nav),
2nd Lt Earl J Dumont, Jr. (Bomb), Capt Richard E Van Holdt (Group Weather Officer), T/Sgt Bernard H Koenig (Eng), Sgt Bernard A Gergash (Radio), Sgt Sidney V Hall (Gunner), Sgt Jesse R Kinney (Gunner), Sgt Frank L Batterson (Tail).
Object Number - UPL 19176 - B-17F Hell Cat (aka No Monkey Business) 41-24580 (VK-C) 358th BS, 303rd BG, 8AF USAAF. Crew: [In no particular order] 1st Lt Oran T O'Connor...
On 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24580 'Hell Cat', 303BG/358BS while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft was downed by fighters near Brest. He was able to parachute to safety and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Participated in 7 Operations - Credited with 5 Missions (see Biography events)
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
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 12 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Operation #1 Frank L. Batterson w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served in B-17 42-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS as Tail Gunner. Aircraft aborted mission. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Operation #2 Frank L. Batterson w/41-224558, 303BG/358BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served in B-17 42-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS as Tail Gunner. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Operation #3 Frank L. Batterson w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | Served in B-17 42-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS as Right Waist Gunner. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Operation #4 Frank L. Batterson w/42-24558, 303BG/358BS |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served in B-17 42-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS as Tail Gunner. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Operation #5 Frank L. Batterson w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served in B-17 42-24558 "Hunga Dunga", 303BG/358BS as Tail Gunner. (RTB OK) |
|
Other Operation #6 Frank L. Batterson w/41-24558, 303BG/358BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Spangenberg, Germany | 23 January 1943 - 19 July 1945 | Held at Offlag 9A/H Spangenberg-Kassel, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 19-Jul-45. |
|
Other Operation #7 Frank L. Batterson w/41-24580, 303BG/358BS (POW) |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served in 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG/358BS as Tail Gunner. Aircraft shot down. (POW). |
|
Born |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 4-Aug-2015 Added Connection to 42-24558 and ALL Mission connections based on 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/
Lee Cunningham 4-Aug-2015. Added Unit association to Operation #6 title.
Lee Cunningham 4-Aug-2015. Added Operation events #1 thru  per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/
Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added decoration, SN and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Corrected Role/Job per 303rd Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html; Made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited descritpion per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit history, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65-66 MACR 15473