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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24611 "Boomerang" was assigned 422BS/305BG [JJ-W] Presque Is 19-Oct-42; Grafton Underwood 25-Oct-42; flew Gen Eaker to Casablanca 15-Jan-43; Missing in Action 16-Feb-43 while on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St Nazaire, France. Attacked by fighters and crashed into the Etang de Gournava near Pleucadeuc, France. 11-man crew. 1KIA, 8POW, 2EVD MACR 16236
P Capt Charles J. Steenbarger (POW) CP 1Lt Thomas P. Mayo (EVD)
N 1Lt John E. Carpenter, Jr. (KIA); B 1Lt Joe J. Varhol (POW)
E/TTG TSgt Carey B. Ford (POW); RO SSgt Frederick J. Dewig (POW)
BTG SSgt Lowell R. Lewis (POW); LWG SSgt Dale Markland (EVD)
RWG TSgt Donald R. Wall (POW); TG SSgt Charley L. Gilbert (POW)
Photographer TSgt Norris C. Miller(POW)
Group
The 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...
Squadron
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Graduated from Texas A&M University in 1940 as engineer. Called up in ROTC in 1941. Graduated first in class in Navigator school and sent to England. Served under Curtis Lemay.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Radio Operator. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. He baled out and managed to evade capture and returned to...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Waist Gunner. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Waist Gunner. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. Prisoner of War (POW)
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Tail Gunner. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. He baled out and managed to evade capture and returned to England...
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Co-Pilot. He baled out of the aircraft near Pleucadeuc, France and managed to evade capture returning to England on 28-Mar-1943. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Photographer | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Photographer. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Captain | Pilot | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 4124611 'Boomerang' while serving as Pilot. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France. He was able to bale out of the aircraft and was captured as Prisoner of...
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier | 305th Bomb Group Can Do
Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down 16 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24611 'Boomerang' while serving as Bombardier. Assigned target was St. Nazaire, France. Downed by fighters about 17 miles east of Vannes, France.
POW
16 February 1943
The port area and U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are designated as the primary target of this mission of 71 B-17s and 18 B-24s. B-17s are from 91BG (18); 303BG (15); 305BG (18); 306BG (20) of these 59 are effective on the target and 6 are lost....
Military site : airfield
Chelveston was adapted and expanded in preparation for the arrival of American forces. Rather than heavy bombers, the first aircraft to fly from its runways were C-47 Skytrains that were flown by the 60th Troop Carrier Group in July 1942. The first...
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...
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Pleucadeuc, France | 16 February 1943 |
|
Shot down by enemy fighters and crashed into the Etang de Gournava, near Pleucadeuc, France. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 January 2015 18:51:21 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 30-Jan-2015. Added nickname, markings, FTR description and Description edits per "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition per MACR 16236; formatted crew display. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 16236 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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