B-17 Flying Fortress
401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 8, 24 December 1943, Gorenflos, Germany. For some time, through photographic reconnaisance and reports from the French underground, it had been known that the Germans were building concrete ramps near the French coast aimed a a number of points in the U.K. These were the famous V-1 rocket sites which were to rain terror on England. No enemy opposition of any kind was encountered on this mission, and all ships and crews returned safely to base. Milk run.
401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 11, 4 Jan 1944, Kiel, Germany. The lead aircraft, piloted by Capt. Garland with Major Martin as Group Air Commander, developed engine trouble and was forced to ditch in the North Sea. Two crewmen were lost in the icy seas, but miraculously the other eight survived. The Group lead was taken over by Lt. James Goodman, who led the 401st over the target on a highly successful mission.
401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 17, 29 Jan 1944, Frankfurt, Germany. 35 aircraft were airborne by 0849 but five aborted the mission and returned. Air Raid warning sounded. The Group encountered heavy flak and fighters, resulting in the loss of four aircraft and crews, while three aircraft landed at Deenethorpe with wounded aboard. The crews lost were those of Lt. J. Tannahill (#42-31486),Lt. D. T. Nicklawsky (#42-40057), Capt. R. W. Beers ("Little Boots" #42-31193) and Lt. L. G. Van Syckle (#42-38012).
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
42-3116 Cawn't miss / Crash site in Leers (France)
Delivered Cheyenne 21/9/43; Gt Falls 14/10/43; Bowman 28/10/43; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IW-O] Deenethorpe 30/10/43; Missing in Action Berlin 29/4/44 with John Singleton, Co-pilot: Clarry Barsuk, Navigator: Jim Levey, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Muse,Tail gunner: Harry Blair (5 evaded capture – all back in UK by 31/8/44); Bombardier: Glen Arndt, Radio Operator: Joe Vistejn, Ball turret gunner: Warren Lee, Waist gunner: Reed Brotzman, Waist gunner: Sol Brackman (5 Killed in Action); flak, crashed in a formal garden of Chateau Desmet at Leers, three miles SE of Roubaix, Frl; Missing Air Crew Report 4344. CAWN'T MISS.
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator; Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
DFC/ AM w/ 5 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Unit Citation w/ Oak Leaf Cluster
1 Damaged
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 #4231116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 42-31116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Evaded. Shot down on 10/7/44 in B-17 'Bettys Revenge 42-107084, crashed at Politz and became Prisoner of War (POW)
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 #4231116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Evaded.
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 42-31116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Killed in Action.
PH
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 #4231116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Robert Sylvester Kinsey Born April 1 1924 in Oklahoma's Osage Indian Reservation in Hominy Oklahoma to Robert S. Kinsey and Olive Forsythe. His father worked for the Train Company in the Oil Fields. Later moved to Atchison Kansas were he married his...
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 #4231116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
PH
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
down on 04/29/1944 in B-17G #42-1116 'Cawn' t Miss'. Evaded (EVD)
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down 29 April 1944 in B-17 #4231116 'Cawnt Miss. ' Evaded.
24 December 1943
This mission is directed at V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. The attacks are made between 1330-1510hrs. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a force of 277 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG ...
4 January 1944
The port area of Kiel, Germany and the railroad marshalling yards at Munster, Germany are the Primary targets of this Mission which is organised as two elements: one going to Kiel and the other to Munster. Roger A. Freeman begins to designate aircraft...
29 January 1944
The primary target for this mission was the railroad marshalling yards and industrial areas of Frankfurt, Germany. A combined force of 863 heavy bombers were despatched in three elements to make the attack. The combined bomber gunner claims on enemy...
13 March 1944
V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France are the targets for this mission. All three Air Divisions despatch aircraft but the weather is so terrible that most could not bomb a target. Mission Summary follows:
...
18 April 1944
The handwritten log of my father, Horace O. "Hank" Turner, states this.. "Started to raid Berlin, bad weather and we bombed Brandenberg. formation bad and flak terrific." He had marked it with an "x", which he noted meant that "Our plane was hit by...
29 April 1944
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 29 April 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 29 April 2022 11:18:29 | Guito59 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Name of crash city correction |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2021 13:31:00 | acbernstein1 | Changes to nicknames, markings and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=31116 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4344 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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