Clifton R Fincher
MilitaryOn 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
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- 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
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Werewolf
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 17 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.