Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
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]. 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."
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.
Military | Major | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Survived a ditching, emergency landing and finally a bale out. Medically grounded after aborting a mission on 26-Sep-43 due to back injuries during the bail-out. Transferred to Squadron/Group Operations.
...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
...
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 20/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-G] Molesworth 22/4/44; Missing in Action Brux 12/9/44 with Art Mehlhoff, Co-pilot: Edgar Nelson, Navigator: Gaylon Williams (wia, & died 10/10/44), Bombardier: Harry...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-G] Presque Is 27/11/42; Molesworth 13/12/42; Returned to the USA 2/7/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Arledge 22/11/44. IZA VAILABLE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/2/43; Walker 23/2/43; Smoky 28/3/43; Kearney 25/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Kearney 21/5/43; Dow Fd 27/5/43; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-U] Podington 1/6/43; Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-I] Molesworth 13/7/43;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42; Morrison 6/2/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Molesworth 6/3/43; crash landed Alresford, Hants., UK, 26/9/43 with Bob Cogswell [injured in crash], Co-pilot: Dallas Kendall, Navigator: Ed Cobb, Bombardier: Frank Kulesa, Flight...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Omaha, NB | 24 August 1923 |
| Lived in | Cook County, IL, USA | 1941 |
| Enlisted | Chicago, IL, USA | 16 July 1942 |
|
Chicago, Illinois |
||
| Based | Molesworth | May 1943 – May 1944 |
|
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 11 March 2020 22:56:31 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/656722770 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 February 2020 22:05:42 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 February 2018 12:40:52 | Al_Skiff | Changes to awards, events and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/page/84405519-eddie-deerfield/facts |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:08:05 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| 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 |
||
