William E Baker
MilitaryWilliam Baker was an original member of the Group. He flew as Left Waist gunner on the Robert W. Seelos crew and was shot down on 5 April 1943 in B-17 #41-24465 'Montana Power'. MACR 15534.
Evasion story in Russell A. Strong's "First Over Germany" tells of landing in Wuustwezel, Belgium and joining with crew mate Co-Pilot Alexander Kramarinko. They got civilian assistance in Belgium and headed to Paris. Somehow the two men got on the express train to Bordeaux, reached the Spanish border and crossed the Pyrenees mountains. Struggling through hills and valleys in cold and snow, they finally made it to Spain. Resting in a hut 6 kilometers over the border, they were awakened by German soldiers. Unfortunately a treaty allowed Germans to arrest errant airmen inside 10K of the border. They were Prisoner of War (POW)s for the rest of the war.
Kramarinko ended up in Stalag Luft 3 and William Baker was sent to Stalag XVIIB (17B) near Krems, Austria.
Connections
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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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14071743
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16022965
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16035409 and O-661851
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39826025
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11021749 and O-732757
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator / Bombardier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Montana Power
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 5 April 1943
Places
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
North Carolina | 19 September 1918 | |
|
Enlisted |
Fort Bragg, North Carolina, United States | 9 April 1942 | |
|
Other Evaded |
Belgium and France | 5 April 1943 | Initially evaded, with the help of Belgian and French patriots, through the Belgian COMET evasion network. Together with Co-Pilot Alexander Kramarinko, they managed to reach and cross the Pyrenees mountains, but were caught right inside Spanish territory end May/begin June 1943, in a trap set by Belgian traitor Prosper De Zitter, who worked for the Gestapo. |
|
Died |
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States | 7 November 1991 | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Braunau am Inn, Austria | Initially evaded, with the help of Belgian and French patriots, through the Belgian COMET evasion network. Together with Co-Pilot Alexander Kramarinko, they managed to reach and cross the Pyrenees mountains, but were caught right inside Spanish territory end May/begin June 1943, in a trap set by Belgian traitor Prosper De Zitter, who worked for the Gestapo. NARA WWII POW records : "Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf Near Krems Austria - Returned to Military control 26/06/1945" |
Revisions
Capitalized all the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.
MACR 15534
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
Research for website www.evasioncomete.org
306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; MACR 15533, Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 99-100, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp. 81-82, NARA
Data Update, National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, 15 September 2014
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15533 / MACR 15533, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 99-100, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp. 81-82, NARA / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database