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Waist Gunner Harrison William Welch in front of Stinky Jr.
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Waist Gunner Harrison William Welch by the tail of Stinky Jr.
Assigned 92BG Bovingdon 8/42; 414BS/97BG Polebrook 24/8/42; transferred Maison Blanche, Alg. 20/11/42; Missing in Action Foggia 7/9/43 with Bill Bispham, Pilot: Everett Blogg, Navigator: Glenn J. Rhodes Jr., Co-pilot: Dan Grover, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Roy Dudgeon, Radio Operator: Casimir Chester, Ball turret gunner: Myron Johnson, Waist gunner: Edwin Grogan, Waist gunner: Albt Cahill, Tail gunner: Morton Schlesinger (8 Killed in Action); Missing Air Crew Report 642. STINKY JR.
Service
Units
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Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the...
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People
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: PH.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: AM (2OLC), PH.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: PH.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio operator | 97th Bomb Group
Edwin Frances Grogan, originally of Turners Falls, MA, served in the 414 Bomb Squadron, and was killed in action over Foggia Italy on 7 September 1943 in B-17 Flying Fortress 41-24342.
...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Downed by flak over Foggia in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; A/C exploded, baled out or blown clear. Returned (RTD).
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Downed by flak over Foggia in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; A/C exploded, blown clear. Prisoner of War (POW), MACR 642.
Awards: AM (2OLC), PH (OLC), GC, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down on B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' on 7 September 1943, on a mission to Foggia, Italy. The aircraft received a direct flak hit, which tore the wing off. The aircraft exploded, but Rhodes survived the crash and was taken as a Prisoner of War at...
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Military | Sergeant | Ball turret gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 12AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Foggia mission in B-17 41-24342 'Stinky Jr' 7-Sep-43; Downed by flak, A/C exploded over Foggia, Killed in Action (KIA), MACR 642.
Awards: AM (4OLC), PH.
Places
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Military site : airfield
Polebrook was laid down for RAF Bomber Command use in 1940-1941. Built by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd, it had short runways which were lengthened for USAAF heavy bomber use. The RAF used the base for operational trials - including of B-17 Flying...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Assigned |
Bovingdon, UK |
August 1942 |
Assigned to 92BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Assigned |
Polebrook, UK |
24 August 1942 |
Assigned to 414BS, 97BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Relocated |
Maison Blanche, Algeria |
20 November 1942 |
Relocated to Algeria. Re-assigned to 12AF USAAF.
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Crashed |
Foggia, Italy |
7 September 1943 |
Missing in Action Foggia 7-Sep-43; Hit by flak lost wing and then exploded. 1 x RTD, 2 x POW, 7 x KIA MACR 642
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