Eddie Deerfield

Military
A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking Horse' of 303BG. Received 7/7/1944.' On reverse: Daily Graphic [Stamp, ref. no. M4226L]. media-407628.jpg FRE 4241 A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking Horse' of 303BG. Received 7/7/1944.' On reverse: Daily Graphic [Stamp, ref. no. M4226L].

The caption above is incorrect. There was no "Kicking Horse" in the 303rd BG. The plane is actually B-17F 42-5483 "Red Ass." This photo was taken 6 September 1943 as the plane returned from 303rd BG Mission #67 to Stuttgart, Germany.

Radio operator Eddie Deerfield wrote in his notes:
"Our B17F was Red Ass (42-5483) piloted by Robert Cogswell. A 20mm hit by an enemy fighter knocked out our number 1 engine about 15 minutes after leaving the target. We landed with the prop feathered."
Roger Freeman Collection

Gary L Moncur
303rd BG Historian

Object Number - FRE 4241 - A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking...

Credited with 30 missions. First on 10-Jul-43 to Poux, France. Last on 11-May-44 to Saarbrucken, Germany. Flew most often with Captain Robert Cogswell at controls of B-17 Flying Fortress 'Iza Vailable'.



On 30-Jul-43, crashed into North Sea 22 miles off Felixstowe, England on return from raid on Kassel, Germany in B-17 42-29738 'Upstairs Maid'. Picked up by British Air Sea Rescue and returned to base. All survived, with serious injury only to Navigator Ed Cobb.

Radio operator was also medic on our crew, so I administered first aid and morphine injection to Cobb while floating in dinghies.



17-Aug-43, flew the mission to Schweinfurt, Germany, in which 8AF units suffered the greatest losses of the war to that point.



27-Aug-43, crew bailed out of burning B-17 'Lady Luck' over south coast of England on return from scrubbed mission to Nantes, France. Only serious injury was to Pilot Cogswell. The jump ended his World War II combat career. He was killed on a B-29 during the Korean War. I landed hard in a plowed field, and was momentarily stunned. When I came to, the farmer was standing over me with a pitchfork pressed to my chest. He had seen the chutes coming out and thought we were Nazi paratroopers. My accent convinced him I was an American.



11-May-44, wounded by flak burst on B-17 'Temptress' on return from Saarbrucken, Germany.



Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH, DUC, GC, EAME (2 battle stars), American Campaign, National Defense, WWII Victory.

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 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20321821 / O-734072
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Temptress
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Two airmen of the 303rd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Iza Vailable". Printed caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, 'Sacred' and U.S. Official Photograph O.W.I. [Stamps].
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Iza Vailable
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Upstairs Maid
  • Unit: 100th Bomb Group 303rd Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: BOB’S BOUDOIR, Lady Luck
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Omaha, NB 24 August 1923

Enlisted

Chicago, IL, USA 16 July 1942 Chicago, Illinois
Cook County, IL, USA

Based

Molesworth Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/page/84405519-eddie-deerfield/facts
Hell's Angels: The True Story of the 303rd Bomb Group in World War II By Jay A. Stout

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop & Hey pp. 208, 291

Eddie Deerfield: Gallery (1 items)