John F Beard

Military

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Lingen/Ems, GR after falling behind in the formation when the bomb doors would not close on return from a mission to Brunswick on 10 Feb 1944 in B-17F #42-30337 'Eight Ball'. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

A bomber crew of the 390th Bomb Group return to base after a mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Flak Hack 8". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Fox.’ [stamp], ‘passed for publication 21 Oct 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘289357.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ‘THE FORTRESSES GO OUT AGAIN. US bombers day raid on German works. A Brilliant series of pictures secured by our cameraman when the USAAF kept up the offensive from an English base against a factory in western Germany, they had a
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Eight Ball : 8 Ball : Flak Hack
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron 571st Bomb Squadron

Places

Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 10 February 1944 Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang Prussia 54-12

Born

Georgia, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added the award(s) mentioned in the "Summary biography" section. Added a connection to the 8th AF.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
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Sources

Corrected the location of the POW event to “Germany”.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a POW event. Added POW camp info from WW2 POW records at the National Archives.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
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Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2503, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces