George C Carruthers
Military
Object Number - UPL 26356 - 42-3049 "Windy City Challenger"
Shot down 14 July 1943 over Paris, in B-17 #42-3049 'Windy City Challenger', Prisoner of War (POW) in Stalag Luft III. Our mission was Villacoublay Air Field (near Paris). Seven of my crew members perished when our B-17 exploded after flack and German fighters set our aircraft on fire. The survivors were blown clear of the burning wreakage and landed by parachute. Retired after 30 years in Air Force.
POW/ DFC, Purple Heart, Air Medal w 6/Oak Leaf Cluster; Air Force Commendation medal with 2/Oak Leaf Cluster
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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Windy City Challenger
- Unit: 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Tyler, Idaho, USA | ||
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
France | 14 July 1943 |
Revisions
Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" for readability.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 64 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database