Frank J Jacknik

Military

On 13 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24471 'Four of a Kind' while serving as Navigator the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17F 41-24498 306BG/369BS which broke the aircraft in two just north of the target of Lille, France. He was either thrown clear or managed to scramble out of the aircraft and was captured. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.

306th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Clyde M Bennett

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6942738
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer

Doyle L Dugger

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-437912
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot, Pilot

James A Johnston

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18002305 and O-406692
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Shedrick Evans Jones

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18058499 and O-726031
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Thomas D McMahon

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 369th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12041471
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'

41-24471

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Four of a Kind
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group

Missions

Places

Stalag Luft III

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Chicago, Illinois, USA 7 October 1915

Enlisted

Jacksonville Army Airfield, Jacksonville, Florida, United States 22 November 1941 as an Aviation Cadet in the Air Corps

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Żagań, Poland 13 January 1943 - 26 May 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan/Zagan, Poland. On the forced march to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Bavaria. Liberated by Gen. Patton's troops. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 26-May-45

Died

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Born

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added an association to Stalag Luft 3 per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
MACR 15502

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added POW camp, RMC date and map location to POW Event; edited Description with mid-air details per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; also reference MACR 15502.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; MACR 15502, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 63 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15502 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database