Bruce W Gordon
MilitaryCrew: [In no particular order]
1st Lt Oran T O'Connor (Pilot), 2nd Lt Eldon T Ruppe (CoPilot), 2nd Lt Bruce W Gordon (Nav),
2nd Lt Earl J Dumont, Jr. (Bomb), Capt Richard E Van Holdt (Group Weather Officer), T/Sgt Bernard H Koenig (Eng), Sgt Bernard A Gergash (Radio), Sgt Sidney V Hall (Gunner), Sgt Jesse R Kinney (Gunner), Sgt Frank L Batterson (Tail).
On 3 Jan 1943 in B-17F 41-24580 'Hellcat Agnes' while serving as Navigator the aircraft was downed by fighters near Brest, France while on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. He parachuted to safety and managed to evade capture, returning to England on 14-Mar-43. He participated in 5 Operations - 1 Aborted (See Biography events)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Hellcat Agnes : No Monkey Business
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 12 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 22 November 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 18 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Mission #1 2LT Bruce W. Gordon w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG 358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. (RTB OK) |
Other Mission #2 2LT Bruce W. Gordon w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG 358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. (RTB OK) |
Other Mission #3 2LT Bruce W. Gordon w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG 358BS on a mission to bomb the carraige and wagon works at Lille, France but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the mission. (RTB OK) |
Other Mission #4 2LT Bruce W. Gordon w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG 358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. (RTB OK) |
Other Evaded Capture |
Brest, France | 23 January 1943 - 14 March 1943 | The aircraft was downed by fighters but 2LT Bruce W. Gordon was able to parachute to safety and managed to evade capture returning to England on 14-Mar-43. His evasion is documented on Escape & Evasion Report #21 which may be viewed at: http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-21.pdf |
Other Mission #5 2LT Bruce W. Gordon w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS EVD |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG 358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was shot down by fighters. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 12-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Leee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG webiste Mission Report of 22-Nao-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 18-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 13-Aug-2015. Added Operation participation to Biography and made connections to all Missions per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html
Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added detail to Evaded Capture event per http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-21.pdf
Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added Evaded Capture event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) Esacape & Evasion Report #22; http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-22.pdf. Also reference 303rd Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html for name, crew position, etc; Made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited descritpion per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit history, 3Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65-66, MACR 15473, Roster