John William Sasser
Military ROLL OF HONOURPhoto from Sasser family album
Prisoner of War (POW), died in captivity. Crash-landed his B-17 #42-97368 near Massow, 5km NE of Freyenstein, Brandenburg, Germany on 12 September 1944. MACR 8834.
John Sasser received his pilot's wings and his commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps in November 1943. He was assigned to the 368th Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) as a B-17 pilot. He was awarded his first Air Medal upon completing 15 missions over enemy territory. He had been promoted to first lieutenant and was flying his 22nd mission when his plane was damaged during a mission over Berlin on 12 Sepember 1944. Several of his crew had been wounded, and Sasser chose to attempt a crash-landing rather than risk further injuries to his crew members by having them parachute. He was promoted to Captain two days after this mission.
Sasser suffered severe head injuries during the crash. First listed as missing, he was later listed as a prisoner of war. Sasser's injuries continued to plague him. He died while undergoing an operation for mastoid infection in the hospital at Obermassfeld, Germany. He was buried with full military honors at Meiningen, 8km NW of Obermassfeld, Germany. His family received his Air Medal with an additional Oak Leaf Cluster.
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11119458
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37116718
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
5 January 1921 | Norfolk, Virginia | |
Enlisted |
30 June 1942 | Charleston, West Virginia | |
Other captured |
12 September 1944 | after the crash-landing of B-17 #42-97368 near Massow, 5km NE of Freyenstein, Brandenburg, Germany | |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
12 September 1944 - 20 March 1945 | Severely wounded, was brought to hospital and later interned. NARA WWII POW records : “Interned at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia Bavaria (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11 “Returned to Military Control 10 July 1945.” (this latest mention is wrong...) | |
Died |
20 March 1945 | in captivity, while undergoing surgery in Obermassfeld, Germany | |
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina | |||
Buried |
in a cemetery in Meiningen, 8km NW of Obermassfeld | ||
Buried |
after the war, his remains were brought back to the USA. John Sasser rests at the Oakwood Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina |
Revisions
MACR 8834
NARA WWII Enlistment records
WWII Draft Card
NARA WWII POW records
German captured documents KU-2940 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/147898539
Added S/N and POW camp information from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA). Added a connection to the pow camp “Stalag Luft III”.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8834 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database