42-5378

Bomber crew and Ground crew of the 306th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 2 Feb 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'American Airmen Who Made First Daylight Raid On Germany. Associated Press Photo Shows: The crew and ground crew of the Fortress which made first raid on Germany in daylight. $Censor: We have names and hometowns of all.$ TET 254778. I 243.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. media-407822.jpg FRE 4403 Col. Frank Armstrong Bomber crew and Ground crew of the 306th Bomb Group, 367th Squadron with their B-17 Flying Fortress, serial number 42-5378.
Flight crew includes:
Robert Salitrnik, N;
Frank Yaussi B;
Joseph Collette E;
Charles Hill WG;
Raymond Erickson BTG;
Donald Tunstall TG;
Robert Siavage RO;
Claude Putman CP.

Ground Crew includes:
Thomas Kazberovich,
Roy Ploeger,
John R. Stone,
Jackson Van Diver,
William Pangle,
William Gilbertson,
Joseph Broussard,
Jesse Ellis,
and William Feeser - Assistant Ground Crew Chief.

Passed for publication 2 Feb 1943.

Printed caption on reverse: 'American Airmen Who Made First Daylight Raid On Germany. Associated Press Photo Shows: The crew and ground crew of the Fortress which was lead plane on the first raid over German soil in daylight flight 27 Jan. '43 . $Censor: We have names and hometowns of all.$ TET 254778. I 243.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps]. Flight crew includes: Robert Salitrnik, N; Frank Yaussi B, Joseph Collette E, Charles Hill WG, Raymond Erickson BTG, Donald Tunstall TG, Robert Siavage RO, Claude Putman CP. Ground Crew includes: Thomas Kazberovich, Roy Ploeger, John R. Stone, Jackson Van Diver, William Pangle, William Gilbertson, Joseph Broussard, Jesse Ellis, and William Feeser - Assistant Ground Crew Chief. Plane tail number 25378 with radio call letters GY. Roger Freeman Collection

Added connections from existing information in the image caption.

Object Number - FRE 4403 - Col. Frank Armstrong Bomber crew and Ground crew of the 306th Bomb Group, 367th Squadron with their B-17 Flying Fortress, serial number 42-5378....

B-17F-50-BO 42-5378 was delivered at Tulsa 26-Nov-42; New Castle 11-Dec-42; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY- ] Thurleigh 1-Jan-43. Missing in Action on the 6 March 1943 mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft came under heavy fighter attack shortly after rounding the Brest Peninsula and the aircraft was abandoned. No Missing Air Crew Report was ever made documenting this loss. Research by local historians reveal that it crashed at Kerlivio, 3km NE of Ploémeur (Morbihan), France. 3KIA 6POW 1EVD. Pilot 1LT Earl C. Tunnell (POW); Co-Pilot 1LT Robert E. Biggs (EVD); Navigator 1LT Mayer Etkin (KIA); Bombardier 1LT Andrew J. Friedrich (POW); Engineer/Top Turret gunner T/SGT Charles K. Kirby, Jr. (POW); Radio Operator T/SGT Robert A. Siavage (POW); Ball Turret gunner T/SGT George A. Tracy (KIA); Right Waist gunner S/SGT Ernest G. Maynard (KIA); Left Waist gunner S/SGT Charles D. Hill, Jr. (POW); Tail Gunner S/SGT Donald Tunstall (POW).

Connections

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Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-726184
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19075295 at enlistment, then O-664296
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36219920 at enlistment, then O-726143
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
Staff Sergeant Charles D. Hill, a waist gunner of the 306th Bomb Group in position inside a B-17 Flying Fortress. Image via BL Davies. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 2 Feb 1943.' [stamp] and '246557.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'AMERICAN AIRMEN WHO MADE FIRST DAYLIGHT RAID ON GERMANY. Associated Press Photos shows: Staff Sgt. Charles D. Hill of Baltimore, Maryland, The waist Gunner of the First Fortress to bomb Wilhelmshaven. TET 254771/2. 1243
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13050532
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13025901
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

Kerlivio, 3km NE of Ploemeur, France 6 March 1943

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Associated Media and corrected typo in Biography (Etkin instead of Ekin...)

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

August 2020 e-mails with JeanYves Le Lan, President of the Comité d'Histoire du Pays de Ploemeur ( http://www.histoiredeploemeur.fr/newsite/accueil.html )
* Co-Pilot Robert Biggs' Escape & Evasion Report E&E 41

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Jul-2015 Edited Description converting dates to military-style signification and adding target detail 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 FTR event and added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition of all crew members and formatted crew display per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE;

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

42-5378: Gallery (1 items)