Military
10-Jul-1942 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. It appears from available records that he was re-assigned to B-17F #42-2966 at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine on or about 5-Oct-42. 25-Oct-42 he arrived at Molesworth, UK on B-17F #42-2966.
Removed from flying status 21-Dec-42 because of a throat infection.
Mission participation (See Biography events UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24517 [GN-O] 'Kali' 303BG/427BS assigned with crew on 1-May-42 at Alamogordo Field, Almogordo, New Mexico. Sent with crew to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine for deployment 5-Oct-42. Arrived at Molesworth, UK 24-Oct-42
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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F #41-24584 "Susfu" was assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-Q] Bangor 5-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; Missing in Action 23-Jan-43 while on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Attacked by German FW-190 fighters and crashed at...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Bangor 16/9/42; Molesworth 28/10/42; 1 CCRC Bovingdon 4/7/43 as trainer. Salvaged in the UK after the war, date not recorded.
17 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 49 B-17s despatched from 91BG (20), 303BG (16) and 306BG (13). Another element of 14 B-24s despatched from 93BG also joins the bombing force on St. Nazaire. The...
18 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...
22 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the Primary (P) target of this mission. A combined force of 68 B-17s despatched from 91BG (18), 303BG (18) 305BG (23) and 306BG (9) against the target but a 10/10 could cover prevents all but 11 from 303BG from...
23 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) for this mission. A combined force of 50 B-17s despatched from 91BG (10), 303BG (12), 305BG (20) and 306BG (8) to attack this target. 91BG is not able to put any of their group on the target,...
20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned to Aircraft | Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 10 July 1942 |
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Asssigned as Co-Pilot with crew of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
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| Change in Aircraft Assignment | Bangor, ME, USA | 5 October 1942 |
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Re-assigned to B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS as Co-Pilot at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. |
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| Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 October 1942 |
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Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42966, 303BG/427BS. |
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| Mission #1, 2LT Benjamin H. Burma, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 |
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Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #2, 2LT Benjamin H. Burma, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 |
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Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #3, 2LT Benjamin H. Burma, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS | Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 |
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Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #4, 2LT Benjamin H. Burma, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 |
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Served as Co-Pilot of B-17 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #5, 2LT Benjamin H. Burma, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
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Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Removed form flying status | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 December 1942 |
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Removed from flying staus because of a throat infection. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 March 2020 20:06:18 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 21:00:51 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Removed form flying status event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:57:32 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:52:12 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:49:01 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:42:23 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:39:29 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:37:29 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Change in Aircraft Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:35:32 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 December 2015 20:33:34 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 19-Dec-2015. Added biography information from 10-Jul-42 through 25-Oct-42 to Summary Biography per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html; made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website Mission Reports: http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:04:24 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roster |
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