William O Slenker Jr

Military
media-17044.jpeg UPL 17044 Howard Snyder (B-17 Susan Ruth) Crew Picture
Back row: Flight Engineer/Top Turret gunner Roy Holbert, Ball Turret Gunner Louis Colwart, Radio Operator Ross Kahler, Right Waist Gunner John Pindroch, Left Waist Gunner Joe Musial, Tail Gunner William Slenker
Front Row: First Pilot, Howard Snyder, Co-Pilot George Eike, Navigator Robert Benninger, Bombardier Richard Daniels

Associated person through information in photograph caption.

Object Number - UPL 17044 - Howard Snyder (B-17 Susan Ruth) Crew Picture Back row: Flight Engineer/Top Turret gunner Roy Holbert, Ball Turret Gunner Louis Colwart, Radio...

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Macquenoise, Belgium on a mission to Frankfurt am Main on 8 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31499. Evaded capture with the help of Marie-Louise Oget (see letter). Wounded by flak, but evaded for seven months in the home of Madame Collet in Chimay, Belgium, until liberated by US Troops.



He flew on Howard Snyder crew.

Connections

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

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12029522 at enlistment, then O-679378
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier/Nose Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-742461
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Susan Ruth
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Denver, Colorado 29 April 1923

Enlisted

Chicago, IL, USA 25 August 1942

Other

Evaded Capture

8 February 1944

Died

9 July 2001

Buried

Affton, MO, USA Lakewood Park Cemetery, Affton, Missouri

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected the date of the "Evaded capture" event.
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to the A/C pilot.

Date
Changes
Sources

Information provided by Viginie Heber-Suffrin, Grand Daughter of Marie-Louise Oget.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from a duplicate record. Source:
MACR 2493 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

NARA Enlistment record: https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=2&tf=F&q=sle…

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2493, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, NARA, Combat Crews pg. 105, First Over Germany pg. 202-03,

William O Slenker: Gallery (3 items)