Andrew Creo
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 526BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 44 x combat missions. ETD.
Awards: DFC, AM (5OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Post war: Killed in B-29 mid air collision.
The American Air Museum is Open
Please click here for more information, there is also plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
Lawrence Edwin Becker
Military
-
"A crew of the 379th Bomb Group poses beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Fatso" at an 8th Air Force base in England, 24 March 1944." Rear L-R: 2Lt Edmund H Lutz, 2Lt,Frank A Banell, Unkn, Unkn, Unkn, 2Lt Andrew B Creo. Front L-R: Unkn, Unkn, Unkn, Unkn. Crew for 24-Mar-44 in B-17 42-30720 were 2Lt Andrew B Creo (P), 2Lt Edmund H Lutz (CP), 2Lt Frank A Banell (N), S/Sgt Carl B Christensen (Tog), Sgt's William M Martin (TT), Howard C Damon (RO), Elmer L Koelling (BT), Billy J Hancock (RW), Russell Boyd (LW), Lawrence E Becker (TG).
Assigned to 526BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 36 x combat missions. ETD.
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Service
People
Units served with
-
8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ... -
379th Bomb Group
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit... -
525th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
-
42-107004
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 23/1/44; Kearney 14/2/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-S] Kimbolton 23/3/44; battle damaged Frankfurt 5/11/44 with ?; Salvaged 2 SAD 7/11/44. -
42-107146 Mairzy Doats
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 6/3/44; Gr Island 12/3/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; ... -
42-31083 Tenny Belle
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/9/43; ... -
42-31085 Anita Marie / Mehitabel
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Gr Island 1/10/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-D] Kimbolton 6/10/43; transferred 525BS [FR-D]; Missing in Action Leipzig 7/7/44 with John Riedman, Navigator: Dave Sarfaty, Radio Operator: Edmund Moreno, Ball turret gunner: Pete... -
42-31228 London Avenger
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 4/10/43; Gr Island 17/10/43; Romulus 24/10/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-G] Kimbolton 22/11/43; with Keith Phinney crash landed into Duxford base quarters, 4 CREW & 5 EM killed 21/1/45; Salvaged 2 SAD Lt Staughton 25/1/45. LONDON... -
42-37859
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 24/9/43; Gr Island 2/10/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG Kimbolton 19/10/43; force landed Gr Island, Ne with Don McMillan 1/11/43; with Herb Wright force landed St Angelo, Nth Ireland 12/2/44; Missing in Action Leipzig 8/7/44 with Willis Jones,... -
42-38161 SARA JANE
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/1/44; Kearney 14/1/44; Assigned 525BS/379BF [FR-O] Kimbolton 19/2/44; Missing in Action Berlin 7/5/44 with Clarry Darnell, Co-pilot: John Jones, Radio Operator: Tom Wilkens, Ball turret gunner: Bill Snider, Waist gunner: Lewis Rule... -
42-38183 The Lost Angel
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 8/1/44; Albuquerque 12/1/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-C] Kimbolton 10/2/44; then 524BS [WA-G] ; flak battle damaged during raid on Magdeburg 28/9/44. Took out 2 engines on one wing, flak came through the windshield and glass got into... -
42-39789
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 31/8/43; Scott 19/9/43; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-F] Kimbolton 19/10/43; then 526BS [LF-W]; transferred 487BG Lavenham 15/7/44; retUS 1103 Morrison 31/1/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 4/10...
Associated Place
-
Kimbolton
Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Exeter, NE | 10 August 1922 |
|
Son of John Henry and Gertrude Elizabeth [Emanuel] Becker. |
||
| Based | Kimbolton | March 1944 – June 1944 |
|
Assigned to 526BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. |
||
| Discharged USAAF | October 1945 | |
|
Honourable discharge. |
||
| Enlisted | 5 November 1966 | |
|
Re-enlisted USAF. |
||
| Discharged USAF | 31 January 1970 | |
|
Honourable discharge. |
||
| Died | Nebraska, USA | 28 October 1976 |
| Buried | Fir Lane Memorial Park, Spanaway, Pierce County, WA | 30 October 1976 |
|
Fir Lane Memorial Park |
||
| Buried | Woodbine Cemetery Valley City, Barnes County, ND | November 1976 |
|
Memorialised |
||
Revisions
