Chester A Gillen

Military

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Lingen/Ems, GR after falling behind in the formation when the bomb doors would not close on return from a mission to Brunswick on 10 Feb 1944 in B-17F #42-30337 'Eight Ball'. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

A bomber crew of the 390th Bomb Group return to base after a mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Flak Hack 8". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Fox.’ [stamp], ‘passed for publication 21 Oct 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘289357.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ‘THE FORTRESSES GO OUT AGAIN. US bombers day raid on German works. A Brilliant series of pictures secured by our cameraman when the USAAF kept up the offensive from an English base against a factory in western Germany, they had a
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Eight Ball : 8 Ball : Flak Hack
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 570th Bomb Squadron 571st Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

10 February 1944 Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow (formerly Heydekrug) Pomerania, Prussia (moved to Wobbelin Bei Ludwigslust) (To Usedom Bei Savenmunde) 54-16

Born

Bramesburg, Iowa

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added the award(s) mentioned in the "Summary biography" section.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to the 8th AF. Added a POW event. Added POW camp info from WW2 POW records at the National Archives.
Added a connection to Stalag Luft IV.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2503, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces