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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24517 [GN-O] 'Kali' 303BG/427BS assigned with crew on 1-May-42 at Alamogordo Field, Almogordo, New Mexico. Sent with crew to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine for deployment 5-Oct-42. Arrived at Molesworth, UK 24-Oct-42
Missing in Action St Nazaire 3-Jan-43. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the Atlantic while on approach to target of St. Nazaire, France. 10 KIA, MACR 6141. Participated in 6 Operations (3 were Aborted) See Biography events for crew information.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
24-Jul-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner with 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 303BG records do not record the exact date that he arrived in the UK, but probably in Oct-42. 303BG records do not indicate that he had a permanent...
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Jul-42 Assigned as the Tail Gunner of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Arrived in the UK with the crew of 41-24619 aboard B-17F #42-2966, 303BG/427BS on 28-Oct-43. B-17F #41-24619 was...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Jul-1942 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. It appears from available records that he was re-assigned to B-17F #42-2966 at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine on or about 5-Oct...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
1-May-1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 24-Oct-42 arrived with crew and B-17F 41-24517 at Molesworth, UK.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
1-May-42 Assigned as a Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 [GN-O] "Kali", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 24-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Kali".
Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
1-May-1942 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F 41-24517 [GN-O] "Kali", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 24-Oct-42 arrived on B-17F 41-24517 at Molesworth, UK.
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Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Original assigment to the 303BG has not yet been determined. A search of 303BG records was not successful in determining whether or not he was ever assigned to a regular crew in the 303BG. It could not be determined when he arrived at Moleworth but it...
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
15-Sep-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner with the 303BG/427BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. Date of arrival at Molesworth, UK could not be definitely determined appoximately 22-Oct-42. He flew as a substitute Aerial Gunner on several 303BG/427BS...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Jul-1942 Assigned as Bombardier of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. It appears from available records that he and his crew were re-assigned to B-17F #42-2966 at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
10-Jul-1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. It appears from available records that he and his crew were re-assigned to B-17F #42-2966 at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine on or...
22 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the Primary (P) target of this mission. A combined force of 68 B-17s despatched from 91BG (18), 303BG (18) 305BG (23) and 306BG (9) against the target but a 10/10 could cover prevents all but 11 from 303BG from...
23 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) for this mission. A combined force of 50 B-17s despatched from 91BG (10), 303BG (12), 305BG (20) and 306BG (8) to attack this target. 91BG is not able to put any of their group on the target,...
6 December 1942
The German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France is the primary target for 19 B-24s despatched from 44th Bomb Group but are recalled. One squadron of 6 does not hear the recall and proceeds to the target, 1 B-24 MIA.
...
12 December 1942
This mission is composed of two elements. First element: The German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a force of 78 B-17s despatched from 91BG (19), 303BG (20), 305BG (21) and 306BG (18). However, the target is...
20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
...
3 January 1943
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are once again the target for this mission. This is proving to be a particularly difficult target to destroy due to its massive, reinforced concrete design. It consists of 14 individual pens connected together in...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned with Crew | Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 1 May 1942 |
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Original Crew B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz; CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott |
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| Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 24 October 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz; CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott |
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| Mission #1, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) |
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| Mission #2, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS. Temporary crew assignment P 1LT Harry A. Robey, Jr. (RTB); CP 2LT Benjamin H. Burma (RTB) |
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| Mission #3, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS | Lille, France | 6 December 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS. P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) |
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| Mission #4, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) |
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| Mission #5, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (RTB); CP 2LT Mark L. McDermott (RTB) |
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| Mission #6, B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - FTR | Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 |
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CREW B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS P 1LT William H. Goetz (KIA); CP: MAJ Charles C. Sheridan (KIA) |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1944 |
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Shot down by enemy aircraft and exploded and crashed into the Atlantic during approaceh to St. Nazaire, France. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 26 December 2020 19:12:17 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “information” was misspelled. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 18:01:20 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:55:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:38:36 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:30:41 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Addedd Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:19:36 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event, per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42 http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:10:18 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, crw page of William H. Goetz: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 17:03:22 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, crw page of William H. Goetz: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 00:00:22 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description and events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 18-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission REport of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 December 2015 23:52:27 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 18-Dec-2015. Added assignment with original crew, mission participation statement to Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations based on my research of 303BG Mission Reports, 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/ and William H. Goetz crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-goetz.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 January 2015 21:40:34 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham8-Jan-2015. added TN and nickname to description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 January 2015 21:08:19 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2015. Added nickname and markings per "The Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A.Hey MBE; Changed dates in description to military style signification; Added place and mission conenctions within existing website data; added crew position, rank, full proper names and dispositions per MACR 6141; formatted crew display. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 6141 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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