B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 326BS/92BG Bovingdon 20-Aug-42; 414BS/97BG Polebrook 28-Aug-42; Missing in Action on mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. This was 97th's first mission 21-Oct-42, shot down and crashed Plouescat, near Morlaix, France. 8KIA 2POW Missing Air Crew Report 15352.
P Capt John M. Bennett (POW); CP 1Lt William F. Galey (KIA)
N 1Lt Robert E. Jackson (POW); B 1Lt Thomas L. Morgan (KIA),
E/TTG SSgt George W. Wright (KIA); RO Sgt McCleary H. Harper (KIA)
BTG Sgt John D. Hyman (KIA); WG Sgt William J. Thompson (KIA)
WG SSgt Jim D. Combs (KIA); TG Sgt Andrew L. Jackson (KIA)
Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the...
Squadron
Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to 303BG/359BS as a pilot at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 15-Apr-42. However, he was reassigned to 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to the 303BG/359BS as an Aerial Gunner at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 13-Feb-42. However, he was reassigned to the 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Lieutenant | Communications Officer, Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to 303BG/359BS as Communications Officer 15-Apr-42 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. However he was reassigned to the 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24344 while serving as Radio Operator. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24344 while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to the 303BG/359BS as an Aerial Gunner at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 13-Feb-42. However, he was reassigned to the 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to the 303BG/359BS 15-Apr-42 at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho as a Navigator but was reassigned to the 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Exact date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to the 303BG/359BS as a Bombardier at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 15-Apr-1942. However, he was reassigned to 97BG prior to the 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Originally assigned to the 303BG/359BS as an Aerial Gunner at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho on 19-Feb-42. However, he was reassigned to the 97BG prior to 303BG's deployment to Molesworth in September 1942. Date of reassignment not determined.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 41-24344 while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA).
21 October 1942
German U-Boat pens are Lorient, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission along with the German airfield at Cherbourg, France. 93BG despatches 24-B-24s to Lorient, but cloud cover prevents them from bombing. The main attack force to Lorient...
Military site : airfield
Polebrook was laid down for RAF Bomber Command use in 1940-1941. Built by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd, it had short runways which were lengthened for USAAF heavy bomber use. The RAF used the base for operational trials - including of B-17 Flying...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Plouescat, France | 21 October 1942 |
|
Shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed at Plouescat near Morlaix, France. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 18 November 2014 17:58:59 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 18-Nov-2014. Added 97BG place association and corrected Mission association. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 November 2014 17:56:05 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description and events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 18-Nov-2014. Added FTR details and formatted Description. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 October 2014 20:42:48 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 27-Oct-2014. Edits to crew names, Missing Air Crew Report (MACR)15352. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:02 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15352 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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