Kenneth Eccleston
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #42-31084. Killed in Action (KIA).
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
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Joseph John Molinari
Military
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563rd Bomb Squadron crew in front of B-17 42-30193 "Hardluck".
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A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30193) nicknamed "Hard Luck". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Eceleston crew.' Kenneth L. Eccleston Crew 388th BG - 561st BS Standing Left to Right: Kenneth L. Eccleston (P), Riley F. Bisonette (CP), John K. Dorsett (N), Milton Fletcher (B) Kneeling Left to Right: David L. Ceely (TG), Norman D. Gallagher (FE), Joseph J. Molinari (BTG), David F. Holliman (WG/FE), George B. Doyle (R/O), Ivan Clark (WG) Gallagher left the crew after 5 missions. He was later KIA flying with the Sundstrom Crew on 9 April 1944. Hollman took over as flight engineer. Bisonette flew six additional mission as pilot of his own crew.
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563rd Bomb Squadron crew in front of B-17 42-30193 "Hardluck". See Media entry UPL 20795 for listed crew members' entries.
Shot down 20 December 1943 in B-17 #4231084. Killed in Action (KIA). Earlier 10/14/43 on takeoff for Schweinfurt in B17#42-30193 'Hard Luck', no. 3 engine caught fire during take off with 10 bombs aboard. Lt. Swith retracted landing gear to avoid trees. Crew escaped before ac caught fire and exploded.
DFC/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Service
People
Units served with
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388th Bomb Group
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran... -
561st Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-30193 Hard Luck
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/4/43; Sioux City 8/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 14/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 15/6/43. ... -
42-31084
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 9/10/43; Missing in Action Bremen 20/12/43 with Ken Eccleston, Co-pilot: Pete Schou, Navigator: John Dorsett, Bombardier: Tom Tollin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Molinari, Radio... -
42-3262 Sweetheart
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 16/4/43; Dow Fd 12/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 23/6/43 SWEETHEART; Returned to the USA Tinker 7/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28/11/45; also named JEANNIE and WILSON'S WILDCATS. -
42-5905 Just Ag
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26/4/43; Sioux City 7/5/43; Smoky Hill 9/6/43; Dow Fd 30/6/43; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 3/7/43; detailed Solignen, 30/11/43 with Paul Kelly, Co-pilot: John Corzette, Navigator: John Wiley, Bombardier: Marion Wiles, Flight...
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 74
17 July 1943
The railroad industry at Hannover, Germany and the aircraft industry at Hamburg, Germany were the intended targets for this mission but weather caused the mission to be cancelled. The element sent to Hannover was a combined force of 207 B-17s from:... -
VIII Bomber Command 75
24 July 1943
Three targets in Norway are the primary targets for this first mission flown by 8th AIr Force to Norway. They are the nitrate works at Heroya and the port areas at Trondheim and Bergen. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (22)... -
VIII Bomber Command 76
25 July 1943
This mission was composed of three elements. The primary targets were the diesel engine works at Hamburg, Germany; the shipyards at Kiel, Germany and the aircraft industries at Warnemude, Germany, but weather frustrated the effort. The first element... -
VIII Bomber Command 77
26 July 1943
The German rubber industry at Hannover, Germany and the U-Boat shipyards at Hamburg, Germany are the primary focus of this mission. In addition, a German ship convoy and targets of opportunity at Wilhelmshaven and Wesermunde are bombed. The first... -
VIII Bomber Command 78
28 July 1943
The German aircraft industry at Kassel (Fieseler works) and Oscherleben, Germany are the primary targets of this mission. 182 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (24); 351BG (21); 379BG (19); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are... -
VIII Bomber Command 82
15 August 1943
German airfields in Holland and France are the targets for this mission. All of the attacks were made late in the afternoon just prior to sunset. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (20... -
VIII Bomber Command 84
17 August 1943
The mission flown on 17-Aug-43, the 1st anniversary of the 1st mission flown by the 8th Air Force, is probably the most written about mission of the war. This is the famous Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission on which 60 B-17s are lost. It has been dubbed ... -
VIII Bomber Command 91
6 September 1943
This mission was planned as massive attack of 338 B-17s on the industrial areas of Stuttgart, Germany and would be supported by a formation of 69 B-24s flying a diversion. This would be the first action from the UK for the B-24 Groups that had recently... -
VIII Bomber Command 92
7 September 1943
Two German airfields, one at Brussels, Begium and the other at Bergen, Holland, and the V-Weapons sites around Watten, France are the primary targets for this mission. ... -
VIII Bomber Command 94 OPERATION STARKEY
9 September 1943
This mission has been named OPERATION STARKEY. It is planned as a coordinated attack of multiple bomber elements upon multiple targets and incorporates fighter escort as a rehearsal of what may be required to support an invasion of the Continent. It is...
Associated Place
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Knettishall
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | New York State | 1921 |
| Enlisted | Governors Island, New York, NY 11231, USA | 14 July 1942 |
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Fort Jay |
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| Died | Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 20 December 1943 |
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Flak at the Target area was very intense and every plane suffered battle damage. Lt. Eccleston, in a/c 42-31084, was lost due to this flak; and, when last seen at 1212 hours, he was going down with his bomb bay doors open and on fire. |
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| Buried | 1945 | |
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Tablets of The Missing |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 December 2017 23:26:50 | 466thHistorian | Changes to middlename, highest rank, awards, events, person associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=388-I-MOL04-... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:17:21 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
ABMC; MACR 3154, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop & Hey p. 342 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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