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All of these ships were part of the "Original 41". They were the first aircraft assigned to the 379th BG and flown overseas by the Group. Closest is 42-3113 FR-F "No Nose Art"; Then 42-29891 WA-N is "Dangerous Dan" - Next is 42-29893 WA-Q "El Diablo" shot down over Nantes, France 9/16/43 - Furthest away is 42-5828 WA-O; later she would be re-designated WA-D and named "Sweater Girl". WA is code for the 524th BS and FR- is code for the 525th BS.
Assigned Air Combat Crews:
42-3113 - Noel R. Britten Crew
42-29891- William Jones Crew
42-29893 – Lester Brumley Crew
42-5828 – William Brownlow III Crew
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1st Lt. John N. BeilStein, 379th Bomb Group, 8th Army Air Force, Bombardier on B-17F "El Diablo"
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Crew of B-17F 42-29893 "El Diablo" in summer 1943. 1st Lt. John N. Beilstein - Bombardier, top row - 2nd from right
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Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/43; Sioux City 16/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 22/4/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-Q] Kimbolton 24/4/43; Missing in Action Nantes 16/9/43 with Floyd H. Jamerson - Pilot, and Radio Operator -John F. Paznar both Killed in Action; Earl H. Guyette - Co-pilot, Joseph F. Burkowski - navigator, Alvin M. Rabun -Flight engineer/top turret gunner, Charles T. Gray - ball-turret gunner, James P. Reid - waist gunner, and Howard E. Moody - waist gunner were all captured; John N. Beilstein - bombardier, and John Semach - tail gunner evaded and escaped and returned to duty. Plane was shot down by Fw-190 20mm cannon that hit cockpit, killing pilot and severely wounding Paznar - Paznar bailed out but died in German custody; German pilot was Josef Lorey. B-17 crashed near La Nouette, 5km NW of Ercé-en-Lamée, Ille-et-Vilaine Department, France. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 1346.
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 | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Evaded.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2872.
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Silver Star
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Prisoner of War (POW).
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Killed in Action (KIA).
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 September 1943 in B-17 #42-29893. Killed in Action (KIA). Earlier on May 10, 1943, took off from Gander in B-17 #42-3143 en route to Prestwick, Scotland, but landed at Bunduran, Ireland.
Purple Heart, AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
20 MM burst into the cockpit and the A/C went down out of control on 16 Sep 1943 on the Nantes, France ball bearings mission.
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Missions
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16 September 1943
This mission is composed of two elements: Bomb Groups from 1st Bomb Division and Bomb groups from 3rd Bomb Division. The first element is a combined force of 147 B-17s from: 91BG (18); 303BG (19); 305BG (16); 351BG (19); 379BG (19); 381BG (20); and...
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 |
Failed to Return (FTR) |
France |
16 September 1943 |