William Mcadoo Quinn
MilitaryLessons in Escape, by John T. Butterwick
Quinn was Shot down on 17 August 1943 during the Schweinfurt Regensburg shuttle mission, in B-17 Flying Fortress 42-5867 'Alice From Dallas'. He evaded capture until 6 February 1944.
Quinn recalled bailing out in Lessons in Escape by John T Butterwick (1944)
“I heard, ‘For God’s sake bale out.’ I picked up my chest pack off the floor of the radio room. When it would not go on after three or four jabs, I looked and saw I was holding it upside down. I took off my glove, found that my hand was bleeding and attached each hook separately, because the harness rings were so loose they would not meet. As I started to jump out of the bomb bay door, I found that I had not disconnected my throat cord or oxygen hose so I unfastened them and dived headfirst through the bomb bay as the plane went into its first dive. After hearing one parting pull chord open there was a sudden stop and a swing around with blackouts. When it subsided like my arms were going off. When the chute opened, there was a frightful tug. My head and arms went in towards the chute but my arms gave out. Someone was waiting for me when landed and asked if I were wounded. I replied that I did not really know but that I did not believe I could walk. I was picked up like a child and carried to a nearby wood. For several weeks my neck was so sore I had to lift up my head with my hand.”
Quinn is played by Kai Alexander in Apple TV's Masters of the Air (2024)
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-735962
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: ALICE From DALLAS
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 17 August 1943
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Evaded |
17 August 1943 - 6 May 1944 | ||
Born |
Revisions
Added an Association to “Thorpe Abbotts”, the home base of the 100th BG.
Added an Association to the 100th BG, the parent bomb group of the 349th, 350th, 351st & 418th Bomb Squadrons .
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 139 / MACR 678 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database