Earl Minnis

Military

Object Number - UPL 23383

Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Kleve on 16 Feb 45 in B-17 #43-39081. After bypassing the primary target Langendreer(synthetic oil refinery) because of smog, crew was ordered to proceed to bomb secondary target the Munster railhead. This plane was in the lead and was shot down with 3 crew members killed and six Prisoner of War (POW)s.

Connections

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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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17169885
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6575542
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-927606
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37425170
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Toggaleer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-293873
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 16 February 1945

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Bakewell, Tennessee 24 April 1923

Enlisted

Miami Beach, FL, USA 23 February 1943

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 16 February 1945

Died

Hamilton County, TN, USA 28 March 1982

Buried

Chattanooga, TN, USA 1 April 1982 Chattanooga National Cemetery Chattanooga Hamilton County Tennessee, USA Plot: TT,,497
Hamilton County, TN, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Brought in information from duplicate record. Source:
http://www.303rdbg.com/427wertz.html
http://www.303rdbg.com/MACR/12439.pdf
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Minnis&GSfn=Earl&…;
MACR 12439 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorJohn Wertz
Changes
Date
ContributorJohn Wertz
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 12439,Edward Giering letter Jan. 2009

Earl Minnis: Gallery (2 items)