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Military
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sondra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball (FE), Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin (BTG), New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis (TG), Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza (WG), Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis (R/O), Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Francis H Curry (WG), Roswell, New Mexico; Back row, left to right: 2nd Lt Frank N Broach (B), Irving, Texas; 2nd Lt Albert (NMI) Rubin (CP), Chicago, Ill; 2nd Lt Henry O Cox (P), Crossville, Tenn; 2nd Lt Willis E Eddy (N), Battle Creek Mich. US Air Force Photo.' Made corrections to the caption, adding crew positions and changing the plane name from "Sandra Kay" to "Sondra Kay"
B-17 #42-5906 "Sondra Kay" of the 388th BG - 562nd BS crashed near the fence line on 9 September 1943 at Upper Cilgee Farm in Powys, Wales. All 10 members of the Henry Cox Crew were KIA
Henry Jr. was a graduate of the 1940 class of Cumberland County High School. Two classmates, and football team members, graduating from CCHS in 1938, Ben H. West Jr. and Cecil G. Buttram were killed in action. AMM 3rd Class Ben H. West Jr. enlisted Dec. 1, 1940, and was killed in action at Guadalcanal, Jan. 1, 1943, as a result of a plane crash. He was Crossville's first death in World War II. Tech. Sgt. Cecil G. Buttram, who enlisted Jan. 7, 1941, was KIA ten days later on Jan. 11, 1943, in North Africa.
H. O. Cox Jr. was enrolled in his second year at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute; however, he left college to enlist in the US Army Air Corps on Jan. 22, 1943, and was among the first to receive his pilot's silver wings at George Field, Illinois. He served in the 388th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, 3rd Air Division, 45th Combat Wing, Station 136, Knettishall, England. This group flew 333 total missions from 1943-1945, 306 being combat missions. Henry O. Cox Jr. was a pilot in the 567th Bomb Squadron on a B17-F (Flying Fortress), the "Sondra Kay," named for the baby of one of the crew members.
The 8th Air Force Historical Society lists an engagement on Sept. 16, 1943, as follows, 93 of the 148 B-17s, after bombing the German U-Boat pens at LaPallice, and Luftwaffe installations, destroying 22 German aircraft, headed back to England. On the return flight the formations had to break up and return independently due to inclement weather. Four B-17 aircraft were lost, with 44 crew members killed in action. One plane crashed into the Black Mountains, one on Exmoor, one made a forced landing on three engines at Shobden.
1st Lt. Henry Oren Cox Jr.'s aircraft, short of fuel and in poor visibility, crashed near Rhayader, England. 1st Lt. Cox was buried at the American Military Cemetery in Cambridge, England. He was posthumously awarded an Army Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer - Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Killed on mission in returning from mission to Bordeaux and La Pallice on B-17 #42-5906 'Sondra Kay'. Rain squalls dispersed the 388th BG. AC crashed at Pembridge south of RAF Shobdon.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
1st Lt Broach was the son of Frank Norman Broach Sr., and Clara Elizabeth Wilson Broach.
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Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Right Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
He resided in Dawson County, Texas prior to the war.
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Military | Captain | Navigator/Squadron Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Killed on mission in returning from mission to Bordeaux and La Pallice on B-17 #42-5906 'Sondra Kay'. Rain squalls dispersed the 388th BG. AC crashed at Pembridge south of RAF Shobdon. 16 September 1943
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Left Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 16 September 1943
AM w/ Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Killed on mission returning from mission to Bordeaux and La Pallice in B-17 #42-5906 'Sondra Kay'. Rain squalls dispersed the 388th BG. A/C crashed at Pembridge south of RAF Shobdon. 16 September 1943
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA)
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Killed on returning from mission to Bordeaux and La Pallice in B-17 #42-5906 'Sondra Kay'. Rain squalls dispersed the 388th BG. A/C crashed at Pembridge south of RAF Shobdon. 16 September 1943
Air Medal
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Gore 9/5/43; Sioux City 10/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 1/6/43; crashed on take off for Bremen after encountering mechanical problems 13/11/43 with Bob Simons, Co-pilot: Alvin...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 30/4/43; Sioux City 13/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 17/6/43; following Regensburg shuttle mission suffered battle damaged over Bordeaux on return trip to base 24/8/43, with Lloyd...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 30/4/43; Sioux City 7/5/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG [--E] Knettishall 16/6/43; suffered battle damaged at La Pallice, Fr. 16/9/43 with Henry Cox, Co-pilot: Albt Rubin, Navigator: Bob Leaventhal, Bombardier: Frank...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 26 May 1943; Denver 4 June 1943; Dow Field 28 June 1943; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall as "WENATCHEE SPECIAL" 4 July 1943. (Also named "Sky Shy"). Missing in Action Stuttgart 6 September 1943 with Pilot Myron A. Bowen; Co-pilot:...
17 July 1943
The railroad industry at Hannover, Germany and the aircraft industry at Hamburg, Germany were the intended targets for this mission but weather caused the mission to be cancelled. The element sent to Hannover was a combined force of 207 B-17s from:...
24 July 1943
Three targets in Norway are the primary targets for this first mission flown by 8th AIr Force to Norway. They are the nitrate works at Heroya and the port areas at Trondheim and Bergen. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (22)...
25 July 1943
This mission was composed of three elements. The primary targets were the diesel engine works at Hamburg, Germany; the shipyards at Kiel, Germany and the aircraft industries at Warnemude, Germany, but weather frustrated the effort. The first element...
28 July 1943
The German aircraft industry at Kassel (Fieseler works) and Oscherleben, Germany are the primary targets of this mission. 182 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (24); 351BG (21); 379BG (19); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are...
30 July 1943
The aircraft factories at Kassel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is flown by two elements of B-17s which attack 15 minutes apart. The firts element is a combined force of 119 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 303BG (23); 351BG (21);...
12 August 1943
This mission is separated into two elements. The first element is a combined force of 183 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division: 91BG (22); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (21); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are dispatched to bomb...
15 August 1943
German airfields in Holland and France are the targets for this mission. All of the attacks were made late in the afternoon just prior to sunset. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (20...
16 August 1943
This mission consists of two elements of B-17s despatched to bomb the German airfields of Le Bourget (Paris), Poix and Abbeville, France. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20);...
24 August 1943
The 8th Air Force is intent on dishing out some "pay back" to the Luftwaffe for the toll it took on bombers of the 17-Aug-43 mission to Schweinfurt/Regensburg. So, This mission has three attack elements and a diversion element. The attack elements are...
27 August 1943
This mission is the first attack by the USAAF on suspected V-Weapon sites. The German development of pilotless winged aircraft was first divulged to the British just shortly after the beginning of World War II in two letters sent to the British embassy...
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
Crash site
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Maryville, TN, USA | 28 January 1921 |
| Lived in | Blount County, TN, USA | 1942 |
| Enlisted | Montgomery, AL, USA | 22 January 1942 |
| Died | Llanyre, Llandrindod Wells LD1 6NG, UK | 16 September 1943 |
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While returning from a mission to Bordeaux on this date, the Cox Crew, running low on fuel and in bad weather crash landed at Upper Cilgee Farm in Powys, Wales. All 10 crew were KIA |
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| Buried | 25 September 1943 | |
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Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial • Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 09 December 2019 18:10:44 | Michelbe | Changes to biography and awards |
| Sources | ||
Michel Beckers WW2CRASHSITERESEARCH |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 December 2017 23:09:24 | 466thHistorian | Changes to middlename, events, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=388-I-COX01-... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:12:44 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
ABMC, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 285 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia |
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