John Gregory Bleau

Military

Left Waist gunner John Bleau had flown missions before that last one. He participated to a mission over France on board 42-39772. He was on board B-17G #42-31141 on the 8 March 1944 operation to the VKF ball-bearing factory in Erkner/Berlin. Fighters set the bomb bay on fire and the Fort crashed North of Hannover, Germany, after the crew baled out. John Bleau was one of the 9 who were made Prisoners of War (POW). Interned at Stalag Luft 4, John Bleau returned to Allied Military Control on 22 June 1945.

Note from ED-BB : "Add MEDIA" :

I couldn't add the photo of John Bleau and his sister at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/204996344  as I couldn't convert it to the allowed format... 

Connections

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Units served with

A bomber crew of the 94th Bomb Group stand with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30200) nicknamed "Slo Time Sally" and a bomb inscribed 'Special delivery to Hitler'. Inscription on bomb reads: 'Special delivery to Hitler, From Peggy of St. Louis.'

94th Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

42-31141

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron

42-39772

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lady Bedlam aka Grin 'N Bear It
  • Unit: 94th Bomb Group 332nd Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Alabaster, Michigan, United States

3 December 1921

Died

in Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan

13 October 1983

Lived in

Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan, United States

8 March 1944

Prisoner of war

Captured on 8 March 1944

Interned at Stalag Luft 4 in Gross-Tychow/Tychowo, Poland

Buried

John Bleau rests at the All Saints Cemetery in Waterford, Oakland County, Michigan

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII Awards  https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4530002https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4530002

NARA WWII POW Records

https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/187336118/john-gregory-bleau

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII Awards  https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4530002https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4530002

NARA WWII POW Records

https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/187336118/john-gregory-bleau

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2976 / MACR 2976, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database