Laurence Edwin Dennis Jr
Military
The legend lists all men as Staff or Technical Sergents, except Pilot Captain Frederick Prasse (standing far right) and has typos in some names. One man is missing from the ten-man crew on board # 42-29965 which had to ditch in the English Channel on return from the 6 September 1943 mission to Stuttgart.
Standing, left to right : Tail Gunner S/Sgt Rolland A. Galloway; Radio Operator T/Sgt Laurence E. Dennis; Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Joseph F. Thornton; Bombardier 2nd Lt Fred Champion; Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Otto F. Trammer; Pilot Captain Frederick T. Prasse.
Front, from left to right : Engineer/Top Turret Gunner S/Sgt John Geegee; Ball Turret Gunner John W. Disher; Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Charles H. Hartnett. (The missing man from the photo is Navigator 2nd Lt David C. Besbris).
Added media
Object Number - UPL 24722 - Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of the 407th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" after being rescued...
Laurence Dennis graduated from Farmington Community High School in the class of 1938. After his enlistment in the Air Corps in September 1941, he trained as a Radio Operator at Scott Field. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 92nd Bomb Group/407th Bomb Squadron. He was on board of B-17 #42-29965, which went down in the Channel for lack of fuel on return from the Stuttgart mission of 6 September 1943. All ten men on board rescued by a French boat and returned to base. Laurence was on board B-17 #42-29996 on his 23rd mission when the plane was shot down over Norway on the raid to Knaben. Captured by the Germans, he was a POW for 18 months at Stalag 17B.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11998665 /O-674111
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 02044435
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13038030 and O-660326
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11021187 and O-668893
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39169650
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Bombardier / Togglier / Waist Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 16 November 1943
![A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking Horse' of 303BG. Received 7/7/1944.' On reverse: Daily Graphic [Stamp, ref. no. M4226L].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407628.jpg.webp?itok=SpfDIv0I)
- Date: 6 September 1943
![A bomber crew of the 92nd Bomb Group return to Podington following a mission flying B-17 Flying Fortresses to Wittenberg. A B-17 Flying Fortress (NV-K, serial number 42-29994) is visible in the background. Image stamped on reverse: 'Passed for Publication 23 Feb 1945' [stamp]. ' News Chronicle Copyright Picture' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew back from Wittenberg.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379172.jpg.webp?itok=G7D0FciD)
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Sparland, IL | 8 December 1918 | the son of Laurence E. and Alice Edna (Harrison) Dennis |
|
Enlisted |
Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois, United States | 26 September 1941 | as a Private in the Air Corps |
|
Other rescued |
English Channel | 6 September 1943 | He was on board of B-17 #42-29965, which went down in the Channel for lack of fuel on return from the Stuttgart mission of 6 September 1943. All ten men on board rescued by a French boat. |
|
Other Captured |
near Konsmo, Norway | 16 November 1943 | after his B-17 # 42-29996 was shot down on the mission to Knaben, Norway on 16 November 1943. |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Krems, Austria | 16 November 1943 - 3 May 1945 | Interned at Stalag XVII B in Austria. Freed by US troops in May 1945. |
|
Died |
Sterling, IL | 7 December 2015 | |
|
Buried |
Trivoli, IL 61569, USA | 19 March 2016 | Pleasant Grove Cemetery near Trivoli, IL |
| Farmington, Fulton County, Illinois, United States | Graduated from Farmington HS Class of 1938 |
Revisions
MACR 1384 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database