Silas Simmons Nettles
MilitarySilas Nettles was Pilot on the mission to Bremen, Germany on 8 October 1943. On the one to Schweinfurt, Germany on 13 October 1943, he was piloting B-17 #42-3453 when it was shot down over Schweinfurt. Prisoner of War (POW) - Awards : Distinguished Flying Cross / Air Medal / Distinguished Unit Citation.
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: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32421887
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35662827
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16067300 at enlistment, then O-676959
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37306589
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18086878 at enlistment, then O-683032
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 94th Bomb Group 333rd Bomb Squadron
Missions
![Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-408505.jpg.webp?itok=zJwHCUjh)
- Date: 14 October 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Montgomery, Alabama | 14 February 1922 | |
|
Enlisted |
13 March 1942 | Montgomery, Alabama | |
|
Other captured |
14 October 1943 | after bailing out of 42-3453 over Schweinfurt, Germany | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
14 October 1943 | Interned at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Poland. Force-marched from there to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Germany, where liberated by US troops on 29 April 1945. NARA WWII POW records: "Returned to Military Control 25 April 1946 (sic)." | |
|
Died |
4 January 2007 | ||
| Montgomery, Alabama | |||
|
Buried |
Silas Nettles rests at the Greenwood Cemetery in Montgomery, Alabama |
Revisions
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources
MACR 831
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
SSDI Death Index
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Self; MACR 831; Snetterton Falcons pg 61 & 76