8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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41-24629
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 369BS/306BG [WW-O] Cheyenne 13/9/42; Thurleigh 23/1/43; transferred 358BS/303BG Molesworth [VK-G] 25/9/43; 4m Missing in Action Duren 20/10/43 with John Hendry, Navigator: Bernie McNamara, Bombardier: Dick Webster Wounded in Action, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Loran Biddle, Ball turret gunner: Alf Hargrove, Waist gunner: Delbert Guhr, Waist gunner: Wilfred Raesly, Tail gunner: John Doherty (8 Prisoner of War), Co-pilot: Bill Harper, Radio Operator: Jim Brown (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, ship exploded with wreckage, crashed at Valenciennes, near Belgian border. Missing Air Crew Report 1032.
Service
Units
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303rd Bomb Group
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New... -
358th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Loran Biddle
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
James Brown
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1032 Awards: PH. -
John Doherty
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Wilbur Giraud
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 306th Bomb Group The Reich Wreckers
Wilbur Roy Giraud was born on August 1, 1918 and graduated from Eastern State Normal College in 1938. For two years he taught in the junior high and was assistant coach and scoutmaster at Gary, South Dakota. He returned to college at Illinois State... -
Delbert Guhr
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358S, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Alfred Hargrave
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032. Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
William Harper
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. 25 x combat missions. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 1032 Awards: DFC, AM (2 OLC), PH. -
John Hendry
Military | Captain | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Bernard McNamara
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME. -
Wilmer Raesly
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 358BS, 303BS, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 20-Oct-43 in B-17 41-24629, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1032. Awards: DFC, AM, PH, GC, POW, WWII Victory, EAME (3 x battle stars).
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 106
2 October 1943
This mission is composed of three elements, two or which are directed at the industrial areas of Emden, Germany and the other at the German airfield at Woensdrecht, Holland. The first element is a formation of 163 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division which... -
VIII Bomber Command 108
4 October 1943
This mission is composed of five elements. The first element is a combined force of 104 B-17s from: 306BG (16); 92BG (17); 395BG (17); 303BG (19); 379BG (18) and 384BG (17) despatched to bomb the industrial areas of Frankfurt, Germany. 77 aircraft are... -
VIII Bomber Command 114
10 October 1943
This mission was intended to be a massive attack of 307 B-17s on the railroad facilities and waterway (canals) at Munster, Germany. This attack was to be supported by a diversion 39 B-24s. The formation was attacked by hundreds of German fighters which... -
VIII Bomber Command 116
20 October 1943
The primary target for this mission is the industrial areas of Duren, Germany. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined formation of 103 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that includes: 91BG (3); 92BG (14); 303BG (19);...
Places
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Molesworth
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd... -
Thurleigh
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Valenciennes, France | 20 October 1943 |
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Eight crew were taken as POWs, two were KIA |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 November 2020 19:43:18 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Removed "Not named" from the nickname field. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 October 2020 18:59:30 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 May 2020 19:27:59 | CastleBren | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
303rd Bomb Group records |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 May 2020 19:25:48 | CastleBren | Changes to events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd Bomb Group records |
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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 1032 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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