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Military
Back row left to right: Waist gunner: Gerald Tucker, Ball turret gunner: Rudy Thigpen ( not on final mission), Waist gunner: Albert Di Minno, Tail gunner: Leland Judy, Flt Engineer: Jarvis Allen, Radio Operator: Victor Ciganek Front row left to right: Pilot: Jack Hargis, Co-Pilot: Carl Smith, R.C. Martin ( not on final mission), Bombardier: Edward Winslow
Photo taken 31 July 1943. Back, left to right : Rudolph A. Thigpen, Victor Ciganek, Gerald H. Tucker, James A. Bowcock, Jarvis Allen, Albert T. Diminno Front Left to right : Carl N. Smith, Jack A. Hargis, Capen R. Simons, William H. Turcotte. Some men are still wearing the dry clothing supplied to them by the British Air Sea Rescue.
Left to right back row: Jarvis Allen, Gerald Tucker, Al DiMinno. Front row: Victor Ciganek, Rudy Thigpen, James Bowcock. Photo taken after B-17 #42-3119 ditched into the North Sea on July 26, 1943.
Jarvis Allen from Pyramid, KY. 1943. Picture taken for fake Belgium papers. Taken as part of the underground route via The Comet Line. Traveled with Robert W Metlen and William Kogod.
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #42-3119. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base.
Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-2990 'Dame Satan', Evaded.
Escaped from enemy occupied territory via Belgium and The Comet Line. Crossed paths with AAF ball turrets gunner, Robert W Metlen.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Sgt Victor Ciganek was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group 322nd Squadron based at Bassingbourn. Victor served as radio operator on the B-17 # 42-3119 "Destiny's Tot" on the Hamburg mission of 26 July 1943. Upon returning the B-17 ditched into the North...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #42-3119. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 October 1943 in B-17 #42-30372 'Shack Rabbit III', a B-17 borrowed from the 413th BS. The underground passed him from Belgium through France to Spain. He was back in England by 18 December 1943. Helped by the Belgian evasion network ...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier, Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #42-3119. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-5178 'The Old Stand. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Sgt Gerald Tucker (whose first name is often misspelled Gerold) was Right Waist Gunner on B-17 #42-3119 when it was shot down on the Hamburg mission of 26 July 1943. The plane ditched in the North Sea and all ten crew were saved and returned to base....
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 26 July 1943 in B-17 #42-3119. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. Shot down 9 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29778. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag Luft III, South Compound. Forced march and box cars to Stalag VIIA, Moosburg. Liberated...
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-R] West Palm Beach 14/12/42; Bassingbourn 10/1/43; Missing in Action 11+m Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Pilot Jack A. Hargis; Ball turret gunner: Starr A. Tucker (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Carlyle H. Darling; Bombardier: Edward...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Presque 28/4/43; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-M] Bassingbourn 4/6/43; Missing in Action on the aircraft's 5th mission - Hamburg 26/7/43 with some members of Lt Jack A. Hargis' new crew. Hargis' crew was split up to fly their...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Evaded | Germany | 17 August 1943 |
| Lived in | Pyramid, KY |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 April 2020 21:17:20 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 December 2019 21:42:14 | ruthmcdUS | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
family of Robert W Metlen. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 December 2019 21:41:04 | ruthmcdUS | Changes to events and media associations |
| Sources | ||
from family records of Robert Metlen. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:15:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 277 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 277, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Biship & Hey p. 192 |
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