James I Gordon

Military

26-Jul-42 Assigned as Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24563 [PU-H] "Garbage", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK, aboard "Garbage".



11-Nov-42 as a Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24563 'Garbage', the aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with RAF Anson EF939, and made a forced "belly" landing at Luton, UK. There were no injuries but the aircraft was Damaged Beyond Repair and eventually salvaged for parts. Poor weather conditions contributed to accident on landing 'Garbage'.



Shot down 3 Jan 1943 in B-17F 41-24620 'Snap! Crackle! Pop!' while serving as Tail Gunner. Prisoner of War. NOTE: Some sources report him as an evadee, but NARA records confirm him as POW.



Participated in 4 Operations. See Biography events.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

41-24563

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Garbage
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
A B-17F Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24585) formerly of the 303rd Bomb Group, in Luftwaffe markings after being captured by the Germans. Handwritten caption on reverse: '303BG lost 12/12/42.'

41-24585

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Wulfe Hound
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

41-24620

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Snap! Crackle! Pop!
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Two airmen of the 303rd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Iza Vailable". Printed caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, 'Sacred' and U.S. Official Photograph O.W.I. [Stamps].

42-2973

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Iza Vailable
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 26 July 1942 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as an Aerial Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage", 303BG/360BS.

Other

Aircraft Accident

Luton, Luton, UK 11 November 1942 While serving as an Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24563 "Garbage", 303BG/360BS on a training mission, the aircraft sustained a mid-air collision with an RAF aircraft and forced to make a belly landing at Luton, UK. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Other

Mission #1, SSGT James I. Gordon, w/B-17F 41-24620, 303BG/385BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24620 "Snap! Crackle! Pop!", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, SSGT James I. Gordon, w/B-17F 41-24585, 303BG/385BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24585 "Wulf Hund", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, SSGT James I. Gordon, w/B-17F 42-2973, 303BG/385BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 42-2973 "Iza Vailable", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, SSGT James I. Gordon, w/B-17F 41-24620, 303BG/385BS - POW

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24620 "Snap! Crackle! Pop!", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shot down but he managed to bale out of the stricken aircraft and was captured as a Prisoner of War. (POW)

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 3 January 1943 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems) Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 23-Jan-45. RMC date may be an error, and/or the reason some sources have him as an evadee, but there in no Escape & Evasion Report to confirm that assertion.

Born

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Aircraft Accident event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I. Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added Assigned to AIrcraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2016. Added iniial assignment and promotion info to Summary Biography; made connections to AIrcraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Arthur I Adams crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-adams.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-jan-2015. Added SN and crew position per MACR 15464; made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; edited biography.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15464 / MACR 15464, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey, pp. 46, 61, Roster / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database