Edwin D Woellner Jr
MilitaryStationed at Thurleigh Field near Bedford, England with 8th Air Force, 306 Bomber Group, 368 Bomber Squadron. Crashed at Bingen-on-the-Rhine on 29 Dec 44 in B-17 #4339031. He was pilot. AC had crew of nine and was bombing railroads, river ports and marshaling yards on the Rhine. Just after bombs away German flak shell hit inside the bomb bay doors which had not been closed yet. Fire broke out in plane. Aircraft left the formation and started spiral down to crash. Some crew members bailed out. Five men were taken prisoner and four men were KIA. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12.
AM Oak Leaf Cluster,
Connections
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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
Places
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Cincinnati, Ohio | 27 December 1921 |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11254, self, First Over Germany pg. 296-7, NARA,