8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-P] Bangor 9/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42; force landed RAF Chipping Warden 23/1/43 with Ross Bates, 10 RTD; Missing in Action 28m Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 with Ambrose Grant, Co-pilot: Frank Hall, Navigator: Jim Berger, Bombardier: Marion Blackburn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Tony Kujawa, Radio Operator: Ed Sexton, Ball turret gunner: Chester Petrosky, Waist gunner: Harold Kraft, Tail gunner: Francis Andersen (9 Prisoner of War), Waist gunner: Joe Hauer (Killed in Action); flak hit crashed Wouw, four miles W of Roosendal, Holl. Missing Air Crew Report 1157. THE RAMBLIN' WRECK aka IDAHO POTATO PEELER.
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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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 | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #41-24565 'The Rambling Wreck', Prisoner of War (POW). This was his 8th mission per the MACR #1157.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #41-24565 'The Rambling Wreck', Prisoner of War (POW).
Earlier 10/14/43 on return from Schweinfurt mission, with B-17#42-5482 'Cat O'Nine Tails' running out of fuel landed at Bedfordshire. Crew returned.
Awards: POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #41-24565 'The Rambling Wreck', Prisoner of War (POW).
Earlier 10/14/43 on return from Schweinfurt mission, with B-17 #42-5482 'Cat O'Nine Tails' running out of fuel landed at Bedfordshire. Crew returned.
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
28-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24565 [BN-P] "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids"
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Military | Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 359BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. ETD.
Awards: DSC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean conflict.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to B-17F 41-24581"The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS on 1-Jul-1942. Arrived aboard that aircraft at Molesworth, UK on 21-Oct-42. He only participated in 3 Operations with the 359BS (See Biography events). His final disposition has not been determined....
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 14 May 1943 in B-17F #42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS. Battle damaged aircraft crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 15593
Mission participation (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
1-Jul-42 Assigned as a Waist Gunner on B-17F #41-24581 [BN-O],"The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico and arrived aboard that aircraft at Molesworth, UK on 21-Oct-42.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #41-24565 'The Rambling Wreck', Prisoner of War (POW).
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Shot down 5 November 1943 in B-17 #41-24565 'The Ramblin' Wreck', Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
5 November 1943
Having had good success with P-38 escorts and limiting penetration depth into Germany this mission is directed at the railroad marshaling yards and oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. In addition the marshaling yards at Munster, Germany are also...
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 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 5 November 1943 |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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28 November 2020 22:30:07 | jmoore43 | Changes to mission associations |
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Added a connection to the 8th AF mission #121 for 5 Nov 1943. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
26 November 2020 19:56:42 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Added a space in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 22:53:20 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Corrected the first name of Waist gunner, Harold Kraft, per MACR #1157 records on the 303BG website. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 21:03:55 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
Sources | ||
Corrected the spelling of the Tail gunner's, Francis Andersen, last name per the MACR #1157 on the 303BG website. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 20:40:04 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Added 3 spaces in the "Description" for readability. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 20:02:19 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Corrected the spelling of the last name of the Waist gunner, Joe Bauer to Hauer per MACR 1157 (see Description). |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 19:39:27 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Corrected the spelling of the last name of the Co-pilot in the "Description". |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 19:11:36 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames |
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Capitalized A/C nickname "Idaho Potato Peeler". |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 18:49:23 | jmoore43 | Changes to unit associations |
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Added a connection to 8th AF. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
06 January 2020 18:47:21 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames |
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Added A/C nicknames mentioned in the A/C description. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
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Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1157 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |