Dean Milton Sommers
MilitaryNote : Lt Thornton was shot down with his crew on the following day’s mission to Knaben, Norway on board B-17 “Flagship” # 42-29996 - Lt Thornton is standing, 5th from left top row and the only other identifiable man is Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Otto F. Trammer, 2nd from left top row.
The others are most probably Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Whitney M. Bray; Navigator 2nd Lt David C. Besbris; Bombardier 2nd Lt Arthur A. Carmell; Top Turret Gunner S/Sgt John Geegee; Radio Operator T/Sgt Laurence E. Dennis; Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt Dean M. Sommers; Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Charles H. Hartnett; Tail Gunner S/Sgt Rolland A. Galloway.
Four others are members of the ground crew. S/Sgt Dean Sommers 1st from left top row. T/Sgt Laurence Dennis 1st on right, top row
JWDennis
After graduation from Buffalo High School in Kansas, Dean Sommers attended Chanute Junior College. Living in 1940 in Colfax, Wilson County, Kansas, he enlisted in June 1942 in Missouri and trained as an aerial gunner. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group/407th Bomb Squadron in England as a Ball Turret Gunner. His first combat mission was to the Nordhafen rubber plant in Hannover, Germany, on 26 July 1943. He flew on many of the large operations into Germany and was shot down on 16 November 1943 on his 18th combat mission in B-17 #42-29996 'Flagship' to Knaben, Norway. He bailed out over Kvas, Norway and was helped by Norwegian patriots to evade capture. He was arrested by German troops on 23 November 1943. Taken to Oslo, then transported to Frankfurt, Germany, he travelled from there in box cars with other captured enlisted airmen, ending up in Stalag XVII-B, near Krems, Austria. On 8 April 1945, he and other POWs were force-marched from Stalag XVII-B, arriving to a wooded area near Braunau, Austria on 25 April. Dean Sommers and the others were liberated by the 13th Armored Division, Third Army on 3 May 1945. Dean returned to the US on 11 June 1945.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11998665 /O-674111
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 02044435
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11021187 and O-668893
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36048962
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39099087
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Flag ship
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 16 November 1943
- Date: 26 July 1943
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Buffalo, Kansas | 12 October 1921 | the son of William A. and Ella Mae Sommers |
Enlisted |
Jefferson Barracks, St Louis, Missouri, United States | 15 June 1942 | |
Other Evaded capture |
near Konsmo, Norway | 16 November 1943 - 23 November 1943 | He bailed out over Kvas, Norway from B-17 #42-29996 'Flagship' shot down on the 16 November 1943 mission to Knaben, Norway. He was helped to evade by Norwegian patriots until his arrest by German troops |
Other captured |
near Konsmo, Norway | 23 November 1943 | Arrested by German troops |
Other Prisoner of War |
near Braunau, Austria | 23 November 1943 - 3 May 1945 | Interned at Stalag XVIIB in Austria. NARA WWII POW records : "returned to Military control 18 July 1945"... Had been iberated by US troops on 3 May 1945. |
Died |
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | 8 April 2011 | |
Neosho County, Kansas, United States | |||
Buried |
Fort Lyon National Cemetery, Las Animas, Colorado, United States |
Revisions
MACR 1384
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
US 1930 Census
SSDI - Social Security Death Index
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1384 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / self, MACR 1384