William Bonin Jr

Military

Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2872.



Awards: AM, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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

Units served with

People

Aircraft

42-29897

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Censored (forequetoo)
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

42-30237

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Stump Jumper
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group Base Air Depot 1 524th Bomb Squadron
Ground personnel watch a B-17 Flying Fortress (FR-M, serial number 42-30298) nicknamed "Ragin' Red II" of the 379th Bomb Group start up in snow at Bassingbourn, January 1945. Image by William D "Bill" Pulliam, 91st Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'Ragin' Red 379th FG B-17 F Bassingbourn 1/45. Stop a/c 66fw.'

42-30298

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Tender Tit Tillie / Ragin' Red II
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 487th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron 837th Bomb Squadron

42-31028

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mojo
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of B-17 Flying Fortress (WA-Y, serial number 42-3325) nicknamed "Paddy Gremlin" of the 379th Bomb Group. Image via Constant Anzperger.

42-3325

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Paddy Gremlin
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Cresskill, NJ 5 December 1920 Son of Kathryne E and William Bonin Snr.

Enlisted

Newark, NJ 8 June 1942 Newark, New Jersey

Other

Baled out POW

Munster, Germany 22 February 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44. Prisoner of War(POW). MACR 2872

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 22 February 1944 Prisoner of War(POW). Stalag Luft I.

Based

Prisoner of War (POW)

Kimbolton 22 February 1944 Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF.

Died

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/676154408
https://www.fold3.com/record/5777192/william-bonin-social-security-deat…
Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28746140
https://www.fold3.com/record/83564540-william-bonin-jr

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

MACR 2872 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2872, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces