George A Dickerson

Military

media-36173.jpeg UPL 36173 Front row: L to R
Vernon R. Smith, George A. Dickerson, Calvin F. Ford, Robert L. Greenhaigh
Back row: L to R, Walter D. Johnson, David C. Sharman, Joseph Lemischak, Howard D Hinman, Johnie B. Bryant, Quentin E. Freed

VIA MIKE STRICKLER GRANDSON OF VERNON SMITH

Object Number - UPL 36173 - Front row: L to R Vernon R. Smith, George A. Dickerson, Calvin F. Ford, Robert L. Greenhaigh Back row: L to R, Walter D. Johnson, David C. Sharman,...

Shot down on 9 October 1943 in B-17 #425407 'Fighting Pappy. ' Prisoner of War (POW).

POW

Connections

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Units served with

379th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

526th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

42-5407

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Fightin' Pappy
Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Jackson, Michigan, USA	21 March 1918
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	Kiel, Germany	9 October 1943	In the autumn of 1943. B-17s formed up over East Anglia to attack the German FW 190 fighters factory at Marienburg. Fighting Pappy was chosen to go with 120 B-17s for a diversionary attack at the aircraft component factory, Anklam. This was the crew's fifth mission and the B-17's 19th. the Group passed over Cromer at 1000 feet trying to fly under German radar. Unfortunately, they were spotted by the Bremen defense area and fighters were vectored along the Danish coast on an interception course. The formation reached 11,000 feet, found the target and released their bombs. At 12.00 hours, the group were intercepted over Kiel by a force of FW 190s. Fighting Pappy's engines were hit badly. The B-17 spiraled downwards out of formation and dropped. Pilot and co. pilot struggled with the spinning aircraft and managed to straighten her up. The radio operator had been hit by a cannon shell but still sent out a distress signal, then clamped transmitter key down and returned to his gun. The pilot warned the crew to take up crash positions and wait for the impact. He managed to fly her straight and level, putting the B-17 down on a small island north of Kiel without further injuries to the crew. Unhappily, the radio operator had died from his wounds before the crash. He was recommended by the captain for a Silver Star and buried with full military honors at Kiel. Fighting Pappy s/n 42-5407; 379th BG. Shot down by enemy fighters on October 9 th 1943

Event

Location

Date

Description

Born

Jackson, Michigan, USA

21 March 1918

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Kiel, Germany

9 October 1943

In the autumn of 1943. B-17s formed up over East Anglia to attack the German FW 190 fighters factory at Marienburg. Fighting Pappy was chosen to go with 120 B-17s for a diversionary attack at the aircraft component factory, Anklam. This was the crew's fifth mission and the B-17's 19th. the Group passed over Cromer at 1000 feet trying to fly under German radar. Unfortunately, they were spotted by the Bremen defense area and fighters were vectored along the Danish coast on an interception course. The formation reached 11,000 feet, found the target and released their bombs. At 12.00 hours, the group were intercepted over Kiel by a force of FW 190s. Fighting Pappy's engines were hit badly. The B-17 spiraled downwards out of formation and dropped. Pilot and co. pilot struggled with the spinning aircraft and managed to straighten her up. The radio operator had been hit by a cannon shell but still sent out a distress signal, then clamped transmitter key down and returned to his gun. The pilot warned the crew to take up crash positions and wait for the impact. He managed to fly her straight and level, putting the B-17 down on a small island north of Kiel without further injuries to the crew. Unhappily, the radio operator had died from his wounds before the crash. He was recommended by the captain for a Silver Star and buried with full military honors at Kiel. Fighting Pappy s/n 42-5407; 379th BG. Shot down by enemy fighters on October 9 th 1943

Revisions

Date11 Mar 2017 03:01:13

Contributor1Chuck

Changes

Sources

http://www.b17bomber.de/eng/schicksale/fighting_pappy.php Thanks to Thomas Hampel and Edwin Hess for the informations about the B-17 Fighting Pappy.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:10:44

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1354 / MACR 1354; 379th Bombardment Group Anthology, pg 282 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

George A Dickerson: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 36173 - Front row: L to R Vernon R. Smith, George A...