Clifton R Fincher

Military

On 23-Jan-43 in B-17F 41-24580 "Hellcat Agnes" while serving as Ball Turret Gunner the aircraft was shot down by fighters and came down between Brest, France and the coast. He parachuted to safety and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Participated in 4 Operations, each on in a different 303BG/358BS aircraft.

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

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Leapin Liz
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hellcat Agnes : No Monkey Business
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: One O'Clock Jump
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortresses, including (VK-H, serial number 41-24606) nicknamed "Werewolf", of the 303rd Bomb Group. On reverse: US Army Examiner [Stamp].
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Werewolf
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Mission #1 SGT Clifton R. Fincher w/B-17F 41-24606, 303BG/358BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24606 "Werewolf", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France (RTB OK)

Other

Mission #2 SGT Clifton R. Fincher w/B-17F 41-24582, 303BG/358BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24582 "One O'Clock Jump", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the carraige and wagon works at Lille, France. (RTB OK)

Other

Mission #3 SGT Clifton R. Fincher w/B-17F 41-24526, 303BG/358BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24526 "Leapin' Liz", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. (RTB OK)

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Zagan, Poland 23 January 1943 - 30 July 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 30-Jul-45.

Other

Mission #4 SGT Clifton R. Fincher w/B-17F 41-24580, 303BG/358BS POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24580 "Hell Cat", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was shot down by fighters but he baled out and was captures as a Prisoner of War (POW).

Revisions

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Aug-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Aug-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Aug-2015 Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 6-Dec-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Aug-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 17-Nov-42, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Aug-2015 Added Operations participation to Summary Biography and made connections to Missions per 303Bg website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missions.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. New entry created per 303rd Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-358-oconnor.html; "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A Hey MBE, and National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database.