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"A crew of the 379th Bomb Group poses beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Judy B' at an 8th Air Force base in England, 16 July 1943."
Crew list for 17-Jul-43: Lt Willis C Carlisle, Lt Charles R Bigler, Lt John W Bradley, Lt Joseph G Glaser Jr, T/Sgt Benjamin B Johnson, T/Sgt Albert P Tyler, Cpl Charles J Kukawski, Sgt James A Dyson, Sgt Vernon F Bennett, Sgt John A Stachura.
Pictured L-R:
Rear: 2Lt Lt Charles R Bigler, 1Lt Willis C Carlisle, Lt Joseph G Glaser Jr, Lt John W Bradley.
Front: Cpl Charles J Kukawski, T/Sgt Benjamin B Johnson, T/Sgt Albert P Tyler, Sgt John A Stachura.
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Delivered Denver 27/2/43; Sioux City 16/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-L] Kimbolton 21/4/43; Missing in Action Le Bourget 16/8/43 with Chas Biglar, Bombardier: John Boyle, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Albt Tyler, Waist gunner: Jim Dyson (4 evaded capture), Co-pilot: Vern Deehr, Navigator: John Bradley, Radio Operator: Ben Johnson, Ball turret gunner: Chas Kukawski, Tail gunner: Paul Matthew (5 Prisoner of War), Waist gunner: John Stachura (Killed in Action); flak, crashed on bomb run to Le Bourget, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 1352. JUDY B.
Service
Units
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Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
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People
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Co-pilot of B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission, when pilot Lt Willis C Carlisle was killed at controls. A/C fought off fighters whilst in uncontrolled plunge from 16,000ft to 3,500ft 25...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 1 x combat missions. Shot down 16-Aug-1943 in B-17 42-29866. Evaded and returned (EVD/RTD)
Awards: AM, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866 16-Aug-43; Shot down by flak. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1352
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 11 x combat missions. Pilot fatally wounded by fighter attack in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B' on Hamburg mission. Took deflected round (ricocheted off co-pilots seat) in back. Crew fought off fighters and co-pilot...
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 8-Jun-43 B-17 #42276 was returning to BW1 to collect codes and allied papers left at the control office, when a/c suffered damage on landing. Crew is listed with the Reed Prov. Bomb Group. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 10 x combat missions. Took off from Gander in B-17 42-3143 en route to Prestwick, Scotland, but landed at Bunduran, Ireland 10-May-43. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1352
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Military | Captain | Squadron Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Finished 30 missions and then volunteered for 3 more. Lead Bombardier on grapefruit mission (glide bomb) to Cologne, Germany 28-May-44. Earlier on Hamburg mission, 25-Jul-43, pilot Lt Carlisle killed, I then...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 12 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 1352
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
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Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 13 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget in B-17 42-29866; Shot down by flak 16-Aug-43. After he was shot down, lived with about 90 different families before he was captured. Prisoner of War (POW)....
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 10 x combat missions. Took off from Gander in B-17 42-3143 en route to Prestwick, Scotland, but landed at Bunduran, Ireland 10-May-43. Shot down 16-Aug-43 in B-17 42-29866 'Judy B'. Prisoner of War (POW) at Stalag...
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Missions
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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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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);...
Places
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Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Manufactured |
Long Beach, CA |
1943 |
Built at Boeing.
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Delivered |
Denver AAF, CO |
27 February 1943 |
Delivered Denver AAF 27-Feb-43.
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Assigned |
Kimbolton, UK |
21 April 1943 |
Assigned 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Crashed |
Le Bourget, FR |
16 August 1943 |
Failed to Return (FTR) Le Bourget; ; downed by flak, crashed on bomb run to Le Bourget, France. 4 x EVD, 5 x POW, 1 x KIA MACR 1352
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