Willard W Stephen
Military
Associated airman's record from information in caption.
Object Number - FRE 4202 - Staff Sergeant W.W. Stephens a tail gunner of the 303rd Bomb Group admires the emblem "Ace Hi" painted on the tail of his B-17 Flying Fortress...
1-Jul-42 Assigned as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 [BN O], 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico and on 21-Oct-42 arrived aboard that aircraft at Moelsworth, UK.
On 20-Dec-42 he baled out of B-17F 41-24581 'The 8 Ball' over England while serving as Tail Gunner upon return of the aircraft from a mission to Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The Pilot and Co-Pilot crash-landed at Bovingdon. Uninjured - RTD.
3-Jan-43 Assigned as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II", 303BG/359BS. Mission participation (See Biography events UNDER CONSTRUCTION).
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
![Corporal Murray S. Pearl, of the 303rd Bomb Group, with a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24565) nicknamed "Idaho Potato Peeler". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 28 Jan 1943. [stamp] and ‘245656.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Cpl. Murray S. Pearl, serving with the U.S.A.A.F in a bomber squadron, appreciates the heavy fur-lined jerkin issued to him, for, in private life, he was a fur manufacturer at 222 West 28th Stre](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378885.jpg.webp?itok=m0UvJZd-)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The Ramblin' Wreck : Idaho Potato Peeler
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The 8 Ball
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The 8 Ball MK II
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 26 February 1943
- Date: 4 February 1943
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 1 July 1942 | Assigned as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS aty Alamogrodo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as a Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS. |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS 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. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS 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, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
6 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #6, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - BO/RTD |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The aircraft sustained battle damage but the pilot MAY Romig managed to fly the aircraft back to England. SSGT Fortunak was ordered to bale out over the English countryside. P MAJ Romig and CP CPT Calhoun stayed with the aircraft and made a crashlandidng at USAAF Station Bovington. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair but MAJ Romig and CPT Calhoun were not injured and returned to Molesworth the next day. |
|
Other Mission #7, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II" 303BG/359BS 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. |
|
Other Mission #8, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Wors at Lillie, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #9, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #10, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 2 February 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, but mechanical failures forced to pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #11, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 | c indsutrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany, but mechanical failures forced to pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #12, SSGT Willard W. Stephen, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 26 February 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II" 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 15-Mar-2016. Added Mission #12 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 26-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 15-Mar-2016. Added Mission #11 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 15-Mar-2016. Added Mission #10 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 2-Feb43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/013.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 15-Mar-2016. Made connections to Missions of 2-Feb-43, 4-Feb-43 and 26-Feb-43 pere 303BG website, Gary Mocnur, Historian, Mission Reports of dates stated: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-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
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-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
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2105. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Clahoun crew page:http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2105. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Clahoun crew page:http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added initial assigment and arrival in UK and 3-Jan-43 AC assigment, made connections to 41-24565 and all mission participation through 3-Jan-43 per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Edited biography for clarity; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol.1 by Bishop and Hey p. 55, 303rd web site personnel
![A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their new B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Eight Ball II". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 23 Dec 1942.' [stamp] and '239808.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ''Photo shows:- Five members of the Fortress crew who each shot down a F.W.190 before having to bale out, photographed in front of their new 'plane "Eight Ball II". They are ( left to right):- Lieut. Robert L. Yonkman ( from Grand Rapids, Michigan)](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378883.jpg.webp?itok=b6TLxz2v)
