41-24581 The 8 Ball

Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Staff Sgt. Richard C. Fortunak, 1260 West 17th Avenue, Gary, Ind., Waist Gunner in a Fortress, which he and his crew mates have named "Hoosier Kid", adjusts gun in his turret. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Cens media-407577.jpg FRE 4197 Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Staff Sgt. Richard C. Fortunak, 1260 West 17th Avenue, Gary, Ind., Waist Gunner in a Fortress, which he and his crew mates have named "Hoosier Kid", adjusts gun in his turret. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 4197 - Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943....

B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" was assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-O] with its crew on 1-Jul-42 at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. The aircraft and crew were sent to Dow Field Bangor, Maine on 4-Oct-42 to prepare for overseas deployment; Molesworth 21-Oct-42; battle damaged 20-Dec-42 on mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. Pilot and Co-Pilot brought ship back to crash-landed at Bovingdon The rest of the crew baled out over England. Aircraft was DBR and salvaged 23-Dec-42. 
 

Connections

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Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-431017
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Operations Officer / Commanding Officer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-426125
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31029540
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-724152
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Staff Sgt. Richard C. Fortunak, 1260 West 17th Avenue, Gary, Ind., Waist Gunner in a Fortress, which he and his crew mates have named "Hoosier Kid", adjusts gun in his turret. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Cens
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35172061
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner / Tail Gunner

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned with Crew

1 July 1942 Assigned to 303BG/359BS with crew at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. CREW MAJ Eugene A. Romig (CO 359BS); P CPT William R. Calhoun CP 2LT James S. Nix; N 2LT Joseph M. Strickland B 2LT George R. Dominic; E/TTG TSGT Roman R. Zaorski RO SSGT Charles R. Terry; BTG SGT William C. Mulgrew LWG SGT Richard C. Fortunak; RWG SGT Murel A. Murphy TG SGT Willard W. Stephen

Other

Preparation for Deployment

4 October 1942 - 20 October 1942 Aircraft and crew transferred to Dow Field, Bangor, Maine in preparation for deployment to the UK

Other

Arrival in UK

21 October 1942 Aircraft and crew arrived at Molesworth, UK

Other

Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR)

20 December 1942 Aircraft was severely damaged by flak and enemy aircraft and crash-landed at Bovington upon return and declared a Category "E" (DBR) and salvaged 23-Dec-42.

Revisions

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Sources

Roger Freeman Photo.

Date
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Preparation for Deployment event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Added Assigned with Crew event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William R. Calhoun crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-calhoun.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 12-Dec-2015. Edited Biography and corrected Mission Participations for 7 to 6 and changed Mission event title on Mission 7 to 6.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 11-Dec-2015. Added Mission particpation list to Summary biography per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Sources

Lee Cunningham 11-DEc-2015 Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Completed proper name for Sgt Murel A. Murphy per 303BG website: www.303rdbg.com historian Gary Moncur.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014 Corrected nickname per 303bg website: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
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Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Added target information to description and converted dates to military-style signification per 'Losses of the 9th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & john A. Hey MBE. Added aircraft nickname and full proper names of crew and formatted crew display per data on 303rg Bomb Group website: http://www.303rdbg.com/ historian Gary Moncur.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

41-24581: Gallery (2 items)