UPL 31131

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42-102645 pictured at top of this photo.

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11068627 and T-061894
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 305th Bomb Group 365th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date:
Contributorjohn clarke
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

From my family records (Grandmother). Happy to provide full set of photos and documents 1-678-906-6166 John Clarke

Date:
Contributorjohn clarke
ChangesCreated entry with caption
Sources

Andrew Kuhn
MILITARY | STAFF SERGEANT | TOP TURRET GUNNER | 305TH BOMB GROUP CAN DO
Evaded (EVD) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Segelsen on 8/9/44 in B-17 #42102645

Highest rank
Staff Sergeant

Role/job
Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer

Aircraft Delivered Cheyenne 22 March 1944; Kearney 14 April 1944; Grenier 29 April 1944; Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK- ] Chelveston 14 May 1944. Missing in Action Karlsruhe 9 August 1944. Pilot: Clayton E. Child; Co-pilot: Kenneth V. French; Navigator: Henry F. Colt Jr; Bombardier: Harold F. Kilmer; Flight engineer/Top Turret gunner: Andrew E. Kuhn; Radio Operator: John B. Dubinskas; Ball Turret gunner: John R. Waldren; Right Waist gunner: Grady Lucas Jr; Tail gunner: Jerry R. McEldowney. Enemy aircraft, crash-landed near Zegelsem, SE of Oudenaarde, Belgium. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 8067. John Dubinskas and John Waldren were killed in the plane. Pilot Clayton Child was captured and survived the war. Jerry McEldowney and Grady Lucas were also made prisoner but they died in captivity, most probably during a forced march in the winter of 1945. Four men managed to evade capture : Henry Colt, Harold Kilmer, Andrew Kuhn and Kenneth French. For details about the evasion of Kuhn, Colt and Kilmer, see their pages in the "Fiches" section at website www.evasioncomete.org

AVIONORS OF MARATHON OPERATION

Last updated on January 22, 2014.

Andrew KuhnAndrew Edward KUHN / 32761156
706 Mc Candless Plaza, Linden, New Jersey, USA
Born May 29, 1923 in Linden, New Jersey / † in April 1975
S / Sgt, USAAF 305 Bomber Group 366 Bomber Squadron, mechanic and sub-machine gunner
Landed near Braine-L'Alleud, Walloon Brabant, Belgium.
Boeing B 17G-55BO Flying Fortress Serial No. 42-102645 Registration: KY-A, shot down by the Flak and then by a FW 190 on August 9, 1944 during a mission on Munich hijacked on Karlsruhe.
Forced Landing / Crushed at Zegelsem, between Brakel and Ronse / Ronse, East Flanders, Belgium.
Duration: 1 month.
Camps Marathon: Acremont and Villance.

Further information :

Crew Loss Report MACR 8067. E & E Escape Report 1962 available online.

The aircraft took off from Chelveston at 06:00. The bombs barely dropped on the lens, the B-17 is touched by the Flak. Attacked by a Fw190 fighter, its ailerons can not be controlled, the left engine is on fire and the pilot Clayton E. Child gives the order to leave the plane.

Two crew members were killed in the aircraft crash, S / Sgt radio operator John B. Dubinskas and Sgt John R. Waldren's back gunner. Clayton Child will be taken prisoner, as will Sgt Jerry R. MacEldowney and Sgt Grady Lucas Jr. Sgt Grady Lucas Jr. Both are reported to have died while in detention. It is probable that they were killed during a forced evacuation march from a camp to the approach of Russian troops. Jerry McEldowney rests at the American Ardennes Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium.

In addition to Andrew Kuhn, three others will be able to escape: co-pilot Kenneth V. French (E & E 1756 - landed near Braine-le-Chateau, assisted by Emile Crispeels of this locality and informed as having stayed in Farms at Hal and Enghien and interrogated on 7 September 1944 by IS9), navigator Henry Colt and bomber Harold Kilmer.

Andrew Kuhn jumps to about 5,000 m and lands near noon near Braine-L'Alleud. A farmer hides his parachute in a stable. In his succinct escape report, Kuhn only says that "in Braine-L'Alleud, Colt and he stayed one night at Mme DUBOIS." He heard that Grady Lucas was captured.

Colt's report indicates that he was joined by Kuhn on 12 August in the house of a "friend of the parliamentarian" (PARMENTIER?), Colt having stayed at the latter's house before.

In the archives of the EVA Group, Kuhn is informed as arriving via LHEUREUX and was hosted by Mrs SCHOFS from 14 to 22 August 44. In his report, Colt mentions a 10-day stay at Gaston "SCHAFS" (in fact, SCHOFS ), 25 Rue Victor Oudart in Schaerbeek. EVA reports that Kuhn (and presumably Colt, both indicating that they stayed together) is handed over on 20 August 1944 to Yvonne BIENFAIT by 'Max'.

On 22 August, Kuhn (and Colt) left for Namur by train with Jacques BOLLE. Colt reported that they went through a camp between Maissin and Villance where they joined five other airmen. He went on to say that they were all guided to the "Lucy Forest" near Acremont (in fact, Luchy Forest, Jehonville), where they remained hidden with 18 other aviators until the arrival of Troops.

Andrew Kuhn is questioned by I.S.9 on 10 September (Major Irwin Luiten) and returns the next day to England.