Bruce George Sundlun | American Air Museum in Britain

LtR: T/Sgt William Ramsey (POW), S/Sgt Mike Cappelletti (KIA), S/Sgt George Hayes (KIA) Lt Bruce Sundlun (Escaped), Lt Zitnik(only on this 10th mission), Kneeling: Lt Reino Jylkka (POW)

Show caption About this image
The incredible story of the escape from Nazi-cccupied Europe by Jewish-American Pilot Bruce Sundlun and his subequent return to support the French Resistance. The entire video can be viewed at tubitv.com

Show caption About this image

Assigned to 545th 384BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Solingen. Shot down 1-Dec-43 in B-17F 41-24557 'Damn Yankees'. Evaded (EVD).

Awards: DFC, AM (2OLC), PH, WWII Victory, EAME, American and Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.

Post War: Remained with the USAF Reserve and retired in 1980 at the rank of Colonel. Member of the Democratic Party who served as 71st Governor of Rhode Island between 1991 and 1995.

Service

People

Andrew Boles

Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Mike Cappalletti

Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned to 545th 384BG, 8AF USAAF. 13 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Solingen. Shot down 1-Dec-43 in B-17F 41-24557 'Damn Yankees'. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: AM (OLC), PH.
Harry Cologne

Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Assigned to 545th 384BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Solingen. Shot down 1-Dec-43 in B-17F 41-24557 'Damn Yankees'. Last seen on floor of radio room, wounded and without a parachute. Killed in Action (KIA). Awards: PH.
George Hayes

Military | Staff Sergeant | Bombardier, Enlisted, Nose Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Reino Jylkka

Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Frank Lekas

Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
William Ramsey

Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 41-24557 'Damn Yankees. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
Charles Snyder

Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW
Chester Snyder

Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down 1 December 1943 in B-17 #4124557 'Damn Yankees. ' Killed in Action (KIA).

Units served with

8th Air Force

Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...
384th Bomb Group

Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...
545th Bomb Squadron

Squadron

Aircraft

41-24557 "Damn Yankee"

B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 423BS/306BG [RD-T] Denver 12/8/42; Thurleigh 18/11/42; transferred 545BS/384BG [JD-O] Grafton Underwood 22/8/43; Missing in Action Leverkusen 1/12/43 with Bruce Sundlun (evaded capture), Bombardier: George Hayes, Ball turret gunner: Harry...

Associated Place

Grafton Underwood

Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...

Events

Event	Location	Date
Born	Providence, Rhode Island, USA	19 January 1920
Son of Walter I and Jennette Zelda “Jan” [Colitz] Sundlun.
Enlisted	57 Patriot Ave, Chicopee, MA 01022, USA	8 December 1941
Westover AAF, MA.
Pilot training	Orangeburg, SC, USA	1942
Flight training Advanced - USAAC Southeast Training Center Orangeburg, South Carolina.
Pilot training	Mid Delta Regional Airport, 166 5th St, Greenville, MS 38703, USA	1942
Flight training Basic - Greenville Army Air Field Greenville, Mississippi.
Pilot training	Lawrenceville, IL 62439, USA	1942
Flight training Primary - George Field Lawrenceville, Illinois.
Based	Grafton Underwood	1943 – 1 December 1943
Assigned to 545th 384BG, 8AF USAAF.
Pilot training	Kelly St, Montgomery, AL 36112, USA	1943
Operational training - Maxwell Field, Alabama.
Evaded	20 miles SE of Ostend, Belgium	1 December 1943 – 5 May 1944
Evaded capture 1-Dec-43.
Died	Jamestown, RI, USA	21 July 2011
Buried	Providence, RI, USA	August 2011
Interred Sons of David and Israel Cemetery Providence, Providence County, RI

Date	Contributor	Update
27 August 2018 22:48:17	Al_Skiff	Changes to highest rank, biography, awards and events
Sources
https://www.fold3.com/image/28691399 https://www.fold3.com/image/28603574?terms=Bruce%20G%20Sundlun https://www.fold3.com/image/28605838?terms=Bruce%20G%20Sundlun https://www.fold3.com/record/285424539-bruce-sundlun https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73721743/bruce-sundlun
Date	Contributor	Update
27 August 2018 19:59:31	Al_Skiff	Changes to middlename, service number, biography, awards, events, person associations and unit associations
Sources
https://www.fold3.com/image/28691399
Date	Contributor	Update
27 September 2014 18:04:48	AAM	AAM ingest
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1334 / MACR 1334, Self, obit Washington Post July 30, 2011, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=s... / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database