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B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned to 306BG/367BS at Westover 17-Aug-42; Thurleigh 17-Sep-42. Damaged by anti-aircraft fire over St. Nazaire, France while on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at La Pallice, France. The aircraft was then attacked by German FW-190 fighters over the Bay of Biscay and the aircraft was ditched into the sea but floated long enough for crew members to extricate the wounded Top Turret Gunner, TSgt Lester D. Quandt from the aircraft. The Bombardier, 2Lt Kenneth H. Jones baled out over the sea, but was lost.1KIA 9POW MACR 16448.
P 1Lt Ralph J. Gaston (POW); CP 2Lt. Don H. Eldridge (POW)
N 2Lt James O. Walker (POW); B 2Lt Kenneth H. Jones (KIA)
E/TTG TSgt Lester D. Quandt (WIA-POW); RO Sgt John B. Jones (POW)
BTG Sgt Rudolph Garcia (POW); WG SSgt Percy C. Bolinger (POW)
WG Sgt Albert J. Conte (POW); TG Sgt Joseph A. Dillard (POW)
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 | Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
He was an original crew member of the group. He flew on Ralph Gaston crew. On 9 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17F-15-BO 41-24494.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
On 9 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17F-15-BO 41-24494.
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Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 18 November 1942 in B-17 41-24474 'Floozy' while serving as Tail Gunner. Aircraft was on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at La Pallice, France but was hit by flak over St. Nazaire damaging an engine, letting down over the Bay of Biscay, it...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down with B-17F 41-24447 'Floosy' while serving as Co-Pilot on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at La Pallice, France. Aircraft was ditched into the sea 2 miles off of the Ile d'Oussant, France and 2Lt Eldridge was captured. POW MACR 16448.
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
On 9 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17F-15-BO 41-24494.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
On 9 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17 41-24494.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
09 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17F-15-BO 41-24494.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
While serving as the Bombardier of B-17 41-24474 'Floozy' on 18 November 1942 on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at La Pallice, France, the aircraft was hit by flak over St. Nazaire damaging an engine, letting down over the Bay of Biscay, it was...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
On 9 November 1942 assigned target U/B at St. Nazaire, France. On return, crashed into field beyond runway in B-17F-15-BO 41-24494. RTD
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Shot down 18 November 1942 in B-17 41-24474 'Floozy' while serving as Navigator. Aircraft was ditched into the sea 2 miles off of the Ile d'Oussant, France. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 16448
POW
He died 14 March 1991 in Franklin TN.
18 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Ushant, France | 18 November 1942 | |
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Sustained flak damage over St. Nazaire and then was later attacked by German fighters. The aircraft was ditched two miles off of the Ile d'Oussant on the tip of the Brest Peninsula. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 November 2014 20:21:42 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, description, events, unit associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 27-Nov-2014. Deleted DUPLICATE entry and combined data into this single entry verified from MACR 16448; formatted crew information in description . Made squadron and place associations. |
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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 16448 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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