Felix A Antonnacchio
Military
media-19365.jpeg
UPL 19365
"Lt. Eldon J Smith and crew of the 322nd Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, pose beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 16 August 1943, England".
- 16 August 1943: the 323rd Bomb Sqn, 91st BG supplied 4 birds for a mission to bomb Le Bourget airport. 2 miles short of the French coast, Lt Eldon J Smith & crew, flying B-17F 42-3213 "All American" (coded OR-M) had an explosion aboard their aircraft. Turning back for England, they were forced to ditch 4 miles from land; air-sea rescue quickly retrieved them. They pose here with a life raft and what may be B-17F 42-3079 (coded OR-X), a "no-name" Fortress obtained from the 95th BG.
NARA Ref# 342-FH-3A10546-62742AC.
- 16 August 1943: the 323rd Bomb Sqn, 91st BG supplied 4 birds for a mission to bomb Le Bourget airport. 2 miles short of the French coast, Lt Eldon J Smith & crew, flying B-17F 42-3213 "All American" (coded OR-M) had an explosion aboard their aircraft. Turning back for England, they were forced to ditch 4 miles from land; air-sea rescue quickly retrieved them. They pose here with a life raft and what may be B-17F 42-3079 (coded OR-X), a "no-name" Fortress obtained from the 95th BG.
NARA Ref# 342-FH-3A10546-62742AC.
Assigned to 323BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. B-17 42-3213 ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure on 16 August 1943. Returned to base. Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 42-3079. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 550
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Bronx County, NY | 16 November 1921 | |
Enlisted |
Fort Jay, Governors Island, NY | 19 August 1942 | Fort Jay, Governors Island, New York |
Other Ditched |
North Sea | 16 August 1943 | Ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure B-17 42-3213 on 16 Aug 43. RTD. |
Other Shot Down |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 16 September 1943 | Shot down 16 Sept 43 in B-17 42-3079. POW. |
Other Prisoner Of War POW |
Braunau, Gneikendorf | 16 September 1943 | Prisoner Of War. Stalag XVIIb. |
Other Discharged USAAF |
26 September 1945 | Honourable discharge. | |
Died |
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ | 7 November 1995 | |
Buried |
George Washington Memorial Park Paramus, Bergen County, NJ | 11 November 1995 | George Washington Memorial Park Paramus, Bergen County, NJ |
Revisions
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources
Added a "-" to 2 A/C serial numbers in the "Summary biography" for clarity.
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor; MACR 550