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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Salina 2/3/43; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY-O] Thurleigh 20/4/43. Missing in Action Heligoland Airdrome 15 May 1943 with Pilot Frank B. Clemons Jr, Radio Operator: John L. Mulherin, Ball turret gunner: Donald A. Kind, Waist gunner: Reuben A. Carr, Waist gunner: Emil J. Miller, Tail gunner: Roy T. Fries (6 Killed in Action). Co-pilot: James M. Clark, Navigator: Louis S. Means (Wounded in Action(, Bombardier: Oran R. Highley (Wounded in Action), Flight engineer/top turret gunner: William J. Condon (4 Prisoners of War). Aircraft downed by enemy aircraft and Flak. Crash landed in shallow water between Neuwerk Island and Cuxhaven, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 15512.
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Reuben Carr was Waist gunner on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17 #42-29744 the "Battling-Bee" Piloted by 1Lt. Frank Clemons. Aircraft took direct hit from Flak in open bomb bay. All crew members from Radio Compartment aft were KIA...
Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
James Clark was Co-Pilot on board of B-17 ≠42-29744 'Battling Bee', shot down 15 May 1943. Plane crash-landed in shallow water near Cuxhaven, Germany. Clark bailed out of aircraft, was captured on land near Altenwalde. Prisoner of War (POW) Stalag Luft...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17 42-29744 'Battling Bee'. Plane crashed into North Sea between Neuwerk Island and Cuxhaven, in shallow water. Pilot Lt. Clemons was the last to bail out, low altitude and landed in North Sea. Body was recovered from the...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
William Condon was Engineer/Top Turret gunner on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, lost 15 May 1943, crashed in the North Sea near Cuxhaven, Germany. Prisoner of War (POW)
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Roy Fries was Tail gunner on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17F #42-29744. Plane crashed into North Sea between Neuwerk Island and Cuxhaven, Germany. Killed in Action (KIA). Remains not recovered. Memorialized on the "Tablets of...
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Oran Highley was Bombardier on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17F-70-BO [GY-O] #42-29744 "Battling Bee". Plane crashed into shallow water between Neuwerk Island and Cuxhaven, Germany. Captured at Altenwalde, sent to Dulag Luft for...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17 #42-29744. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Louis Means was a Navigator in the 306th BG/ 367th BS. He completed 2 missions (St. Nazaire on 1 May 1943 and Antwerp on 4 May 1943). He was shot down on his third on 15 May 1943 in B-17 #42-29744. Plane crashed into the North Sea near the island of...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Emil Miller was Waist gunner on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, shot down 15 May 1943 in B-17F #42-29744 ''Battling Bee' piloted by 1Lt. Frank B. Clemons. Plane crash-landed in shallow water between Neuwerk Island and Cuxhaven, Germany. Emil had completed a...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
John Mulherin was Radio Operator on board of B-17 ≠42-29744, lost on 15 May 1943, crashed in the North Sea near Cuxhaven, Germany. His body was recovered a few days after the crash. Killed In Action (KIA)
15 May 1943
The missions of VIII Bomber Command are becoming more sophisticated. The primary stratgic target for today is the U-Boat pens, marshalling yards and Luftwaffe airfield at Emden, Germany. The resistance of Luftwaffe fighters is a primary concern for the...
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) | North Sea-Neuwerk Island | 15 May 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 December 2020 09:42:16 | ED-BB | Changes to description and events |
| Sources | ||
MACR 15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 July 2015 00:12:10 | kduggin | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
macr 15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2015 02:23:14 | kduggin | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
MACR15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2015 02:19:47 | kduggin | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
MACR15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2015 02:19:07 | kduggin | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
MACR15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 22 May 2015 02:16:36 | kduggin | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
MACR 15512 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 May 2015 05:12:24 | kduggin | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
367th Combat Diary |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 March 2015 02:03:41 | kduggin | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
QOM-Louis Means |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:23 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15512 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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