Delivered Denver 12/2/43; Walker 23/2/43; Smoky Hill 28/3/43; Presque 8/4/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 18/4/43 MOOR-FIDITE; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-E] Ridgewell 16/7/43; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Leo Jarvis, Co-pilot: Gene Mancinelli, Navigator: Rich Riley, Bombardier: Bill Lockhart, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Seymore, Radio Operator: Aythemonde Logan, Ball turret gunner: Chas Persinger, Waist gunner: Herman Grossman, Waist gunner: Harry Stecher, Tail gunner: Gene Roehl (10 Prisoner of War); flak KO’d #3, #4 feathered, crashed Ebrach, 18 miles SE of Schweinfurt, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 663. OL' SWAYBACK.
Service
Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 20/3/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 7/5/43; Dow Fd 24/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-F] Ridgewell 31/5/43 with Reinhardt King, Neil Wright, Ed McGlynn, Francis Petrillo, Cecil Floura, Maynard Unger, Joe Lyons, Albt Pollard, Bob Dwyer,...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20-Mar-43; Dyersburg 31-Mar-43; Presque Isle 10-Apr-43; Dow Field, Bangor, Maine 12-Apr-43; Assigned 338BS/96BG [BX-K] Grafton Underwood 24/4/43 GLORIA ANN; Andrews Field 13-May-43; Snetterton 12-Jun-43; transferred 533BS/381BG [VP-X...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Pueblo 10/4/43; Smoky Hill 7/5/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-H] Ridgewell 26/5/43 with Henry Peeples, Co-pilot: Jack Rogers, Navigator: Cliff Haverkamp, Bombardier: Vernon Nicholson, Flight engineer/top turret...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/4/43; Smoky Hill 25/4/43; Walla Walla 2/5/43; Smoky Hill 10/5/43; Dow Fd 26/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-V] Ridgewell 23/6/43; Missing in Action 6m Schweinfurt 17/8/43
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 3/5/43; Smoky Hill 17/5/43; Dow Fd 21/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-L] Ridgewell 15/6/43; Missing in Action 5m Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Weldon Simpson (Killed in Action), Bombardier: Doug Roraback (evaded capture), Co-pilot: Elden...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/2/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 533BS/381BG [VP-T] Ridgewell 4/43 with Capt Bob Post, Bob Nelson, Fred Nudell engineer, Harry Baylerian radio, Capt Joe Murray S-2, M/Sgt Andy Banas line chief, S/Sgt Joe Johnson elec/spec, Cpl...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-M] Ridgewell 28/5/43 with Harry Smith, Sam Hawkins, John Noonan, Lloyd Gwinn, Harry Blake, Judd Lischke, Tony Sylvester, John Jupin, John Elsberry, Julius Cosby; Missing in Action 9+m...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Dow Fd 23/5/43; Assigned 535BS/381BG [MS-V] Ridgewell 6/6/43 WIDGET with Loren Disbrow, Co-pilot: Allen Chapin, Navigator: Art Guertin, Bombardier: George Gaydos, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Otto Bruzewski, Tom Crowley...
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 1/4/43; Presque Isle 25/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-G] Ridgewell 26/5/43. Pilot Hamden L. Forkner; Co-Pilot Joseph A. Kelly; Navigator Robert E. Hyatt; Bombardier Edwin L. Vincent (substitute for Keith Moore); Engineer/Top Turret...
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Units
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Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
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People
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Jarvis crew. 381st BG,532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and left...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Jarvis crew. 381st BG,532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and left...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
June - August 1943. Bombardier, Jarvis crew. 381st BG,532nd BS.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Jarvis crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Member of Fricks crew from the 534th BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & ...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Jarvis crew. 381st BG, 432nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Jarvis crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' swayback'. Mission 320 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and left...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Jarvis crew 381st BG,532nd BS. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and left...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Jarvis crew. 391st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday' to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Jarvis crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt, Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines take out by flak, feathered and left...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Jarvis crew. 381st BG,532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29731 'Ole' Swayback'. Mission #20 "Black Tuesday" to the ball bearing works at Schweinfurt,Germany. MACR 663. #3 & #4 engines taken out by flak, feathered and left...
Missions
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23 June 1943
A combined force of 172 B-17s is despatched from 91BG (13); 92BG (14); 303BG (22); 305BG (21); 306BG (22); 351BG (20); 379BG (20); 381BG (22); and 384BG (18). Also 8 YB-40 gunships from 92BG are interspersed in the formation. The intention was for 140...
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25 June 1943
This mission was intended to be the first major attack on the industrial area of Hamburg, Germany but weather and contrails made fromation flying too difficult and dangerous. As a result, the main formation 197 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (23); 303BG ...
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26 June 1943
The targets for today are all Luftwaffe installations: the Villacoublay air depot SW of Paris, France is the primary; the airfield at Poissy, France is attacked as the secondary because of cloud cover; the airfield at Tricqueville, France; and the...
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28 June 1943
The primary specific target for this mission are the lock gates at St. Nazaire, France to be attacked by two separate formations and also another force is despatched to bomb the German airfield at Beaumon Le Roger, France. A formation of 120 B-17s of...
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29 June 1943
1st Bomb Wing despatches two formations: one has the air depot at Villacoublay, France as their primary; and one has the Luftwaffe airfield at Tricqueville, France as their primary.
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10 July 1943
German airfields at Caen, Abbeville, and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. 112 B-17s form a combined force from 91BG; 92BG; 305BG; 306BG; 351BG and 381BG to bomb the German airfield (Carpiquet) at Caen, France. Cloud...
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14 July 1943
The German air depot at Villacoublay, France and the German airfields Amiens/Glisy and Le Bourget at Paris, France are the primary targets for this mission. These attacks are made by three separate elements: 116 B-17s are despatched from 92BG (15);...
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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...
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29 July 1943
The primary targets for this mission are the port facilities at Kiel, Germany and the Heinkel aircraft factories at Warnemunde, Germany. A combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 92BG (14 these included 1 Y-B40 gunship); 305BG (19); 306BG (18);...
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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);...
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Places
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Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...
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Military site : airfield
Built during 1941-42 as an RAF bomber station, Ridgewell operated as a satellite to RAF Stradishall until May 1943. It had three concrete runways, initially 36 pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Taken over by the Eighth Air Force in June...
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Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Failed to Return (FTR) |
Germany |
17 August 1943 |