Military
"A crew of the 379th Bomb Group poses beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Judy B' at an 8th Air Force base in England, 16 July 1943." Crew list for 17-Jul-43: Lt Willis C Carlisle, Lt Charles R Bigler, Lt John W Bradley, Lt Joseph G Glaser Jr, T/Sgt Benjamin B Johnson, T/Sgt Albert P Tyler, Cpl Charles J Kukawski, Sgt James A Dyson, Sgt Vernon F Bennett, Sgt John A Stachura. Pictured L-R: Rear: 2Lt Lt Charles R Bigler, 1Lt Willis C Carlisle, Lt Joseph G Glaser Jr, Lt John W Bradley. Front: Cpl Charles J Kukawski, T/Sgt Benjamin B Johnson, T/Sgt Albert P Tyler, Sgt John A Stachura.
"A crew of the 379th Bomb Group poses for the photographer at an 8th Air Force base in England, 26 July 1943." Rear L-R: Lt John W Bradley, Lt Joseph G Glaser Jr, Lt Charles R Bigler, T/Sgt Albert P Tyler. Front L-R: ??, S/Sgt John A Stachura, ??, Sgt Charles J Kukawski, T/Sgt Benjamin B Johnson.
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Co-pilot of B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission, when pilot Lt Willis C Carlisle was killed at controls. A/C fought of fighters whilst in uncontrolled plunge from 16,000ft to 3,500ft 25-Jul-43 RTD
Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Evaded and returned (EVD/RTD)
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x combat missions. Shot down 16-Aug-1943 in B-17 42-29866. Evaded and returned (EVD/RTD)
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1352
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 11 x combat missions. Fatally wounded by fighter attack in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission. Took deflected round (ricocheted off co-pilots seat) in back. Crew fought of fighters and co-pilot returned A/C...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 8-Jun-43 B-17 #42276 was returning to BW1 to collect codes and allied papers left at the control office, when a/c suffered damage on landing. Crew is listed with the Reed Prov. Bomb Group. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 10 x combat missions. Took off from Gander in B-17 42-3143 en route to Prestwick, Scotland, but landed at Bunduran, Ireland 10-May-43. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1352
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Military | Captain | Squadron Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Finished 30 missions and then volunteered for 3 more. Lead Bombardier on grapefruit mission (glide bomb) to Cologne, Germany 28-May-44. Earlier on Hamburg mission, 25-Jul-43, pilot Lt Carlisle killed, I then...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 12 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 1352
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 13 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. After he was shot down, lived with about 90 different families before he was captured. Prisoner of War (POW)....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 10 x combat missions. Took off from Gander in B-17 42-3143 en route to Prestwick, Scotland, but landed at Bunduran, Ireland 10-May-43. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B'. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1352
Awards: PH.
Command
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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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...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 23/2/43; Sioux City 20/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-A] Kimbolton; then 524BS [WA-T]; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Erwalt Wagner, Co-pilot: Bill Barnard, Navigator: Joe Hilderbrand,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 27/2/43; Sioux City 16/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-L] Kimbolton 21/4/43; Missing in Action Le Bourget 16/8/43 with Chas Biglar, Bombardier: John Boyle, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Albt Tyler,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/43; Sioux City 19/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Bangor 13/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-K/I] Kimbolton 22/4/43; Missing in Action Bochum 12/8/43 with Ralph Osborne, Radio Operator: Mildred Fambrough, Ball turret gunner: Larry Truman,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/4/43; Tinker 28/4/43; New Castle 29/4/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-X] Kimbolton 23/6/43; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Howie Koeppen, Waist gunner: Jack Posemsky (2 Killed in Action), Co-pilot: Harry Thomkpson,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 18/1/43; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-R] Presque Is 29/4/43; Kimbolton 26/6/43; Missing in Action Anklam 14/10/43 with Matt Zack{+ 524BS crew}, Co-pilot: Fritz Minder, Navigator: George Lemen, Bombardier: John Vournakis, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 10/3/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 95BG 22/4/43; 3m, transferred 524BS/379BG [WA-T] Kimbolton 22/6/43; Missing in Action Hamburg 25/7/43 with Frank Hildebradt, Co-pilot: Don Rogers, Navigator: Leon Baxter, Bombardier: Albt Johnson,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/4/43; Bangor 31/5/43; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-T] Kimbolton 11/6/43; Missing in Action Bremen 8/10/43 with Bill Hickey, Co-pilot: Bill Isengard, Navigator: Pasquale Natale, Bombardier: Jim Cudworth, Flight engineer/top turret...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 7/5/43; Dow Fd 30/5/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-Y] Kimbolton 1/6/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 30/1/44 with Ken Davis, Co-pilot: Chas Fowler, Navigator: Paul Clark, Bombardier: Stan Dolgin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Alex...
25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ...
16 August 1943
This mission consists of two elements of B-17s despatched to bomb the German airfields of Le Bourget (Paris), Poix and Abbeville, France. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20);...
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....
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Logansport, Indiana, USA | 4 June 1922 |
| Lived in | Rochester, IN | 1942 |
| Married | Watertown, SD | 21 March 1943 |
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Married Betty Eloise Jennens in Watertown, SD |
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| Based | Kimbolton | May 1943 – 1944 |
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Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Returned to base pilot KIA | Hamburg, Germany | 25 June 1943 |
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Hamburg mission in B-17 42-29866; Despite pilot being KIA and a plunge of 12,500ft whilst under fire by fighters. Returned to base and to durty RTD. |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Le Bourget, France | 16 August 1943 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Evaded and returned (EVD/RTD) |
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| EVD | France | 16 August 1943 – July 1944 |
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Evaded capture with assistance from French resistance, returning to his unit by Apr-44. |
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| Died | Mesa, AZ | 19 February 2001 |
| Buried | Calumet Park Cemetery, Merrillville, IN | 23 February 2001 |
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Calumet Park Cemetery |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 July 2019 20:22:22 | Al_Skiff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/28693474 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 July 2019 18:36:06 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, nickname, service number, highest rank, biography, awards, events, person associations, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/28693474 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:05:53 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1352 / MACR 1352; 379th Bombardment Group Anthology, pg 274 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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