Charles David Hill Jr
MilitaryIWM, Roger Freeman Collection
He flew on the Lt. Earl Tunnel crew. Joined the 306th Bomb Group in Jun-42. He was in the lead plane as waist gunner on the first Wilhelmshaven, Germany mission 27-Jan-43, with Gen. Frank A. Armstrong. Shot down 6-Mar-943 in B-17 42-5378, 367BS, 306BG, 8th AF as Waist Gunner. The aircraft had developed an oil leak in no. 3 engine over the Channel, but oil pressure stayed steady so pilots continued mission toward the submarine pens at Lorient, France. According to Strong, Fighters attacked as this plane was was dropping back due to the earlier oil leak and the fact this Group was in the low Squadron. When engine 4 quit, bailout was ordered. Charles Hill spent 6 months at the Stalag 9C German Hospital in Bad Sulza, Germany. He was then interned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan/Zagan (Silesia, now Poland). Force-marched from there in late Jan-45, he ended up at Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Germany. Liberated there by US troops on 29-Apr-45. Prisoner of War (POW)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-726184
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19075295 at enlistment, then O-664296
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36219920 at enlistment, then O-726143
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13025901
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11056150
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 6 March 1943
- Date: 27 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Germania, Potter County, Pennsylvania, United State | 21 June 1921 | Son of Charles and Genevieve Hill. |
Enlisted |
Baltimore, MD | 19 January 1942 | Baltimore, Maryland |
Other Shot down |
Lorient, France | 6 March 1943 | Shot down on B-17 42-5378. Landed in parachute near Lorient. |
Other In hospital |
Bad Sulza, Germany | 6 March 1943 | POW in German Hospital at Stalag 9C |
Died |
Towson Maryland | 9 January 2019 | Chuck was pre-deceased by his wife Peggy (she died in 2004) and is survived by two sons, David, and his wife Linda and Dennis, and his wife Maureen, six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Zagan, Poland | Interned at Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan/Zagan, Poland. Force-marched from there and ended up in Stalag 7A in Moosburg, Germany. Liberated there by US troops on 29 April 1945. NARA WWII POW record : “Returned to Military Control 8 May 1945.” | |
Other Discharged USAAF |
Honourable discharge. |
Revisions
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft card
Pages 40 and 41 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/142694377 (NARA)
Page 31 of AV 51/43 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/18238537 (NARA)
NARA WWII POW records
Lee Cunningham 30-Jul-2015. Made connections to Place within existing website data; Added decoration and POW event at Stalag Luft 3 per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Edited Summary Biography with A/C model letter and Unit association and crew position per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Added information from caption. Associated aircraft, mission and created biography entries. Stalag information was sourced from http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/stalag9c.html
http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/pow/stalag7a.html
http://www.b24.net/pow/stalag17.htm
306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 89, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp. 65 & 73-4, NARA, / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.306bg.org/crewphotos/Crew%20Pictures%20Adam-Rector/Crew%20Pi…