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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42-37856
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 21/9/43; Scott 7/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-B] Deenethorpe 23/12/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 30/1/44 with Ron Rohner, Navigator: Stan Johnson, Bombardier: Emil Smetana, Radio Operator: John Morreale, Ball turret gunner: Ken Dickerson (5 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Frank Leonard, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ray Surowski, Waist gunner: Cliff Barker, Waist gunner: Lowell Reif, Tail gunner: Harry Cyr (5 Prisoner of War); flak damage then FW190 KO’d #2, crashed Beienrode, three miles N of Konigslutter, 11 miles E of Brunswick, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report (2276) 2876. FANCY NANCY III.
Service
Units
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401st Bomb Group
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... -
612th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Clifford Barker
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Barker, a native of Yorktown, Ind., was a burly 6-foot-2 inch forward on the 1948 Kentucky team that finished the season with a 36-3 record, the national title and the nickname of the Fabulous Five. The other starters were Wallace (Wah Wah) Jones at... -
Harold Cyr
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Scribner Dailey
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x combat missions. ETD ... -
Kenneth Dickerson
Military | Sergeant (Technician Fourth Grade) | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III. ' Killed in Action (KIA). -
Stanley Johnson
Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III. ' Killed in Action (KIA). -
Frank Leonard
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III'. Prisoner of War (POW). -
John Morreale
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 January 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III'. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Lowell Reif
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III'. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Ronald Rohner
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Son of Walter and Arlene Rohner; brother of Kathleen. Enlisted in the US Army, National Guard, on March 3, 1941 at Camp Flint in Auburn, California. He was attending Placer Junior College at the time but withdrew when the Guard became an active part of... -
Emil Smetana
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 401st Bomb Group
Shot down during bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany 30 Jan 1944 in B-17G #42-37856 'Fancy Nancy III. ' Killed in Action (KIA).
Missions
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8th Air Force 174
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... -
8th Air Force 176
5 January 1944
This mission consists of five elements: The first element is a combined force of 131 B-17s are despatched by 1st Bomb Division: 92BG; 303BG; 305BG; 306BG; 379BG; 384BG; and 482BG to bomb the shipyards and industrial areas of Kiel, Germany. 119 are... -
8th Air Force 178
7 January 1944
The industrial areas of Ludwigshaven, Germany are the primary target for this mission. The formation has three elements. The bomber gunners of the entire force claim 30-6-17 of attacking German aircraft. ... -
8th Air Force 200
30 January 1944
This mission has the aviation industry at Brunswick, Germany as the primary target. The mission is composed of a combined force pf 777 heavy bomber aircraft despatched in three elements: 1st Bomb Division; 2nd Bomb Division and 3rd Bomb Division. The...
Places
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Deenethorpe
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...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 30 January 1944 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 10 September 2021 22:48:18 | acbernstein1 | Changes to markings and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=37856 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 January 2020 22:21:59 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space in the A/C “Description” for clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 January 2020 21:42:37 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Added the nickname mentioned in the A/C “Description”. Added a connection to the 8th AF. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:45 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2276 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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