B-17 Flying Fortress
388th BG Tail Marking
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 9/10/43; Missing in Action Bremen 20/12/43 with Ken Eccleston, Co-pilot: Pete Schou, Navigator: John Dorsett, Bombardier: Tom Tollin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Molinari, Radio Operator: George Doyle, Ball turret gunner: Dave Holliman, Waist gunner: Ivan Clark, Waist gunner: Dave Ceely,Tail gunner: Chas Bein (10 Killed in Action); intense flak, crashed Vegasack, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 3154.
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Squadron
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
DFC/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Left Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 42-31084. Killed in Action (KIA).
DFC/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer - Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner/Flight Engineer - Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
Flew his first 3 missions (plus 3 aborts) as a waist gunner. Flew the remainder of his tour as Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
11 November 1943
This mission is composed of two element. The first element is a combined force of 167 B-17s of 3rd Bomb Division including: 94BG (21); 95BG (20); 96BG (42-double force); 100BG (20); 385BG (23) and 390BG (21) dispatched to bomb the railroad marshaling...
13 November 1943
The port area of Bremen, Germany is the focus of this mission composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 154 B0-17 of 1st Bomb Division including 94BG (16); 385BG (17); 95BG (21); 100BG (18); 390BG (21); 96BG (40); and 388BG ...
16 November 1943
This mission was directed at targets in Norway. It was composed of three elements. The first element was a combined force of 189 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 384BG (21); 303BG (20); 379BG (22); 351BG (20); 91BG (20); 381BG (22); 305BG ...
19 November 1943
The primary target for this mission was Gelsenkirchen, Germany by adverse weather conditions and failure of the PFF equipment caused al formations to seek out targets of opportunity along the German-Dutch border. The force was composed of 168 B-17s...
26 November 1943
The industrial areas of Bremen, Germany are the target for this massive mission (largest to date) of 505 B-17s which included 14 B-17 Pathfinders from 482BG spread among the B-17 formations - 13 of these completed the mission and 7 were damaged.
...
30 November 1943
This mission is composed of two fighter elements despatched to provide escort to B-17 bomber formations attackin at Bremen, Germany. The frist element is a combined force of 20 P38s from 55FG (including some from 20FG). 1 aircraft Failed to Return (FTR...
5 December 1943
This mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 216 B-17 from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (10); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (21); 351BG (35); 379BG (21); 381BG (30); 384BG (20); and 301BG (20)...
11 December 1943
This mission is a massive raid of 583 heavy bombers on the industrial areas of Emden, Germany. The first element is a combined force of 242 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (24); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (20); 351BG (40)...
13 December 1943
The port areas at Bremen and Kiel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the first mission where more than 600 aircraft are despatched. This mission is comprised of 8 elements. The first element consists 182 B-17s from: 91BG (31);...
16 December 1943
This is a massive mission of 631 heavy bombers directed at the port area of Bremen, Germany. The force of 631 included 1 PFF-equipped B-17s from 482BG dispersed among the attacking formations. The mission is composed of three elements. The first...
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
Other location
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | Cheyenne, WY, USA | 16 September 1943 |
| Assigned | Knettishall, Diss IP22 2TH, UK | 9 October 1943 |
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388 BG |
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| First 388th BG Combat Mission | Münster, Germany | 11 November 1943 |
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The Kenneth Eccleston Crew flew her on 9 of her 11 combat mssions |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 20 December 1943 |
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Flak at the Target area was very intense and every plane suffered battle damage. Lt. Eccleston, in a/c 42-31084, was lost due to this flak; and, when last seen at 1212 hours, he was going down with his bomb bay doors open and on fire. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2017 01:47:49 | 466thHistorian | Changes to production block number, markings, events, person associations, mission associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=42-31084&dat... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3154 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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