41-24567 Beats Me

Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven media-378931.jpg FRE 1063 Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Avenue, Harvey, Ill. Aged 27 and single, Sergt. Soria was formerly a insepector with the Allied Steel Company and was educated at Thornton Township High School. O.P.S Sergt Soria swinging one of the propellors of a U.S. bomber.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1063 - Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image...

B-17F 41-24567 [PU:J] "Beats Me" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42. 

23-Jan-43 - Mission in Action on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above and crashed in the woods at Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France. 7KIA 3POW MACR 15571. 

 

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-726967
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Air Service Group 358th Bomb Squadron 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-726969
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-431245
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-790793
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot, Pilot

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Arrived at Station

16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK.

Revisions

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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #6 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of1 3-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #5 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 3-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 30-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event crew data per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Mission #7 event crew details per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Aug-2015. Added Operations participation per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html. Added Arrived at Station per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Stroy", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Added FTR event per MACR 15571.

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ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2015. Added nickname and added target and loss details to description per "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition per MACR 15571.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

41-24567: Gallery (2 items)