Roy W Christianson

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-14557.jpeg UPL 14557 Roy W. Christianson.

Addition of image courtesy of Zachariah Fike at http://purpleheartsreunited.org

Object Number - UPL 14557 - Roy W. Christianson.

10-Jul-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo, Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-41 Arrived ar Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me"



Killed in Action (KIA) 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24567 'Beats Me', 303BG/360BS while serving as Co-Pilot. Aircraft was struck by bomb dropped from above while attacking the port area of Lorient, France and crashed into the woods of Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France.



Particiapted in 6 Operations (2 were aborted) See Biography events.



His medals, lost after a death in the family, were returned to the Christianson family on 9 November, 2014. See more at : http://purpleheartsreunited.org/heart/2lt-roy-w-christianson/

Connections

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

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Beats Me
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yardbird II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Upham, ND 58789, USA 14 October 1916

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot aboard B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS.

Other

Mission #1, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24602, 303BG/360BS

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - KIA

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was struck by bomb form above and crashed. He was killed. KIA.

Other

Killed in Action (KIA)

Pluvigner, France 23 January 1943 Killed when aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above and crashed into the woods of Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France

Buried

Rock Island, IL, USA The remains of all 7 of the KIA crew members were recovered from their burial locations near the crash site and repatriated after the war for Group Burial at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois, Plot D-306B.

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrivial in UK info to Summary Biography.; Made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html

Date
Changes
Sources

Addition of medal information and image courtesy of Zachariah Fike at http://purpleheartsreunited.org
Birth details added from http://www.findagrave.com

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added KIA description Burial description and Biography narrative per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE, also reference MACR 15571.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / MACR 15571, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Roy W Christianson: Gallery (1 items)