Kenneth V Maeran

Military

Assigned to 342BS, 97BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 21-Oct-42 in B-17 41-24441 'Francis X' while serving as a Waist Gunner, Prisoner of War (POW).

 

Awards: AM, POW, EAME, WWII Victory.

Connections

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

Units served with

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im

97th Bomb Group

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

People

Lieutenant Harry R. Erickson, from Mankato, Minnesota, a bombardier of the 97th Bomb Group inside the nose of a B-17 Flying Fortress. A censor has obscured the ammunition to the bottom left of Erickson. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Ministry of Information 25 Jul 1942.' [stamp], 'Air(Boeing).' [written annotation] and '212091.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN FLYING FORTRESSES WAIT FOR ZERO HOUR. Associated Press Photo Shows: Lt. Harry Erickson from Mankato, Mi

Harry Ray Erickson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17017977 / O-440334
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
Joe Gray Jr

Joe Henry Gray

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14012196 / O-419578
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Ned R Herzstam

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39165066
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Kenneth Laud

Kenneth Kurtz Laud

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20744087
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

William Thomas Lynch

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14073155
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

41-24441

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Francis X
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 342nd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Dulag Luft 12

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12

Stalag XVII-B

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

New Jersey 2 December 1922 BornNew Jersey

Enlisted

26 January 1942

Prisoner of war

Prisoner of War (POW)

Stalag XVIIb, Krems an der Donau, Austria 21 October 1942 - 4 June 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf, near Krems, Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 4-Jun-45.

Other

Discharged

28 February 1946

Married

North Carolina 27 March 1946 Married Helen M Dotter

Died

Englewood, Colorado 2 February 2006 DiedEnglewood, Colorado

Buried

Fort Logan National Cemetery Denver, Colorado 5 February 2006 InterredFort Logan National CemeteryDenver, Colorado

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/record/43631082/kenneth-v-maeran-us-social-security-death-index

https://www.fold3.com/record/722459818/maeran-kenneth-v-us-veterans-gravesites-ca1775-2019

https://www.fold3.com/record/83521089/kenneth-v-maeran-us-wwii-army-enl…

https://www.fold3.com/record/620474071/kenneth-maeran-1922-us-veterans-…

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/36080167/kenneth-v-maeran

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206239540/helen-m-maeran

https://legacy.catalog.archives.gov/id/139517602

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C tail # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Conections with other crew members

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 18-Nov-2014. Added POW event.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 27-Oct-2014. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) POW database.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

97th Bomb Group Association, Inc., Roster - June 1, 2000, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Volume 1 p. 38 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia