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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-50-BO 42-5392 AKA "Stric Nine." 427BS, 303BG(H). This A/C has been confused with B-17F 42-3192 "G for George"
2Lt. Lauren H. Quillen
Delivered Tulsa 29/11/42; Salina 25/1/43.
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-X] Molesworth 26/3/43, then 358BS [VK-O] ; 21m.
Missing in Action Gilze-Rijen 19/8/43 with 6 KIA - (bodies washed up weeks later):
- Pilot: Lauren Quillen
- Co-pilot: John Homan
- Navigator: Bevan Colby
- Bombardier: Bill Irish
- Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Elden Richter
- Radio Operator: Sal DiCosmo.
4 Prisoners of War :
- Ball turret gunner: Elbert Price
- Waist gunner: Joe Brown
- Waist gunner: Paul Abernathy
- Tail gunner: Art Sauer.
Enemy aircraft, #3 was out and wing on fire, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland.
Missing Air Crew Report 285.
STRIC NINE / City of Albuquerque
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...
Squadron
Military | Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 285
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 285
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 285
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Salvador Di Cosmo served as a radio operator gunner with the 303rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Molesworth, England. On 19 August 1943, he was shot down in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane ditched into North Sea off the Hook of Holland. Di Cosmo...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 285
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 285
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 285
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 285
Awards: PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 285
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 427BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Gilze-Rijen in B-17 42-5392 'Stric Nine' 19-Aug-43; shot down, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 285
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
5 April 1943
The industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is the primary target of this mission. More specifically the Erla aircraft and engine factories are the highest priority. 79 B-17s are depatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (21); 305BG (18); 306BG (20). 64 of the 79 are...
17 April 1943
The largest mission to date, 117 B-17s, are despatched to bomb the primary target of the Focke-Wulf Aircraft factory at Bremen, Germany: 91BG (32); 303BG (29); 305BG (28) and 306BG (26). The German Luftwaffe is learning fast and mounts a fierce and...
1 May 1943
The U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (19); 305BG (21); 306BG (18). Poor weather frustrates the bombing effort and only 29 of the 78 despatched are effective on the target. The ordnance...
4 May 1943
The Ford and General Motors vehicle plants at Antwerp, Belgium are the primary target for this mission. 79-B-17 are despatched 91BG (25); 303BG (27) and 305BG (27). 65 0f the 79 despatched are effective on the target. There is moderate flak and fighter...
13 May 1943
The large fighter sweeps of the last several weeks have not been successful in drawing any significant numbers of German fighters in opposition. So, if the German will not send his fighters up for a one-on-one confrontation with the American P-47s,...
14 May 1943
Today's operations will be the most extensive yet mounted by VIII Bomber Command. The operations call for a "maximum effort". Whereas in the past a single target or those close together have been chosen, today's effort is against widley separated...
15 May 1943
The missions of VIII Bomber Command are becoming more sophisticated. The primary stratgic target for today is the U-Boat pens, marshalling yards and Luftwaffe airfield at Emden, Germany. The resistance of Luftwaffe fighters is a primary concern for the...
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...
11 June 1943
The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown...
13 June 1943
German naval facilities and port areas at Bremen, Germany and Kiel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A formation of 151 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (27); 305BG (24); 306BG (28); 351BG (21); and 379BG (13) are to...
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...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Hook of Holland, Netherlands | 19 August 1943 |
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See more at : http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html |
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| Crashed | Somewhere in the North Sea | 19 August 1943 |
|
Enemy flak caused ship to catch fire, causing the crew to attempt to bail out over the Dutch coast, with the Fortress crashing into the North Sea. Six of the crew were killed, with the other four taken prisoner. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2020 01:34:35 | CastleBren | Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
303rd Bomb Group records Edited "Basic Details" section to be easier to understand |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 April 2020 20:06:19 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 April 2015 13:14:49 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Update to crash location from http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 April 2015 13:07:41 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, mission associations and media associations |
| Sources | ||
Merged details from duplicate record, with media information provided by John Rogers (User SMLE). Additional details from : http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:56 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 285 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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