41-24568 Lady Fairweather
B-17F 41-24568 "Lady Fairweather', assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-U] Bangor 9-October-42; Molesworth 25-October-42. The original crew flew to Molesworth 24/25-Oct-42 except for Borysiewicz. The aircraft also carried as a passenger Captain Abraham Black who was the 303BG Flight Surgeon. The aircraft participated in 3 operations (1 abort). Missing in Action, 23-November-42 on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens ar St Nazaire, France. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the sea, in flames, near Belle-Ile en Mer, France. This was the first loss for the Group. 10KIA MACR 15075. 18-Nov-42 Mission #1 - U-Boat pens - St. Nazaire, France (see Biography)
22-Nov-42 Mission #2 - U-Boat pens - Lorient, France - Aborted (see Biography)
23-Nov-42 LAST OPERTAION Mission #3 U-Boat pens - St. Nazaire, France (see Biography)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-728190
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11021358
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15084564
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-791051
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-430181
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description: 36 HBs hit Saint-Nazaire submarine base for the fifth time in 2 weeks. Cumulative effect of operation on the base is large though the sub shelter shows little permanent damage. HB crews report change in ftr tactics from rear to head-on attack as they...
- Date: 22 November 1942
- Official Description: 11 HBs attack Lorient-Keroma 17 U-boat base.
- Date: 18 November 1942
- Official Description: VIII BC conducts missions against 3 U-boat bases. 19 HBs attack at La Pallice, 13 at Lorient Keroman, and 19 at Saint-Nazaire.
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Aircraft Assigned to Group |
Bangor, ME, USA | 9 October 1942 | Aircraft B-17F 41-24568 was assigned to the 303BG/359BS on 9-Oct-42 and Bangor, Maine. |
|
Other Mission #1 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Crew P 1LT Arthur E. Reddig (RTD); CP 2LT Francis M. McMurtry (RTD) N 2LT John Ercegovich, Jr. (RTD); B 2LT Grady B. Ward (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Robert W. Van Fleet (RTD); RO TSGT Devon B. Nolen (RTD) BTG SGT George T. Senior (RTD); LWG SSGT Ferrell A. Mann (RTD) RWG not carried; TG SGT Alexander S. Greib (RTD) |
|
Other Mission #2 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Crew P 1LT Arthur E. Reddig (RTD); CP 2LT Francis M. McMurtry (RTD) N 2LT John Ercegovich, Jr. (RTD); B 2LT Grady B. Ward (RTD) E/TTG TSGT Robert W. Van Fleet (RTD); RO TSGT Devon B. Nolen BTG SSGT Gerald S. Sturgis (RTD); LWG SSGT Ferrell A. Mann RWG SGT George T. Senior (RTR); TG Alexander S. Grieb (RTD). Mission aborted, no reason given in Mission Report. |
|
Other Mission #3 B-17F 41-24568, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1943 | Crew P Capt Charles G. Miller (KIA); CP 1Lt Arthur E. Reddig (KIA) N 2Lt John Ercegovich, Jr.(KIA); B 2Lt John W. Plummer (KIA) E/TTG TSgt Devon B. Nollen (KIA); RO TSgt Robert W. Van Fleet (KIA) BTG Sgt Alexander S. Grieb (KIA) WG SSgt Gerald S. Sturgis (KIA) WG SSgt Ferrell A. Mann (KIA) TG Sgt George T. Senior (KIA) |
|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
Belle Île, France | 23 November 1942 | Shot down by German fighters, crashed in the sea near Belle-Ile en Mer, France |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Edit to Description format.
Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303Bg website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reprt of 23-Nov-42.
Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42.
Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42.
Lee Cunningham 5-Dec-2015. Added Aircraft Assigned to Group per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.
Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added Capt Black as passneger on 25-Oct-42 flight form USA to Molesworth per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added RWG and TG to original crew per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Lee Cunningham 12-May-2015. Added 2nd Mission crew to description per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf That Mission Reoprt has RO as Nollen, rather than Nolen as on MACR 15075. MACR taken as definitive.
Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Typo corrections.
Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Typo correction on Original crew listing.
Lee Cunningham 11-Nov-2015. Added original crew and 1st mission crew to Description from 303BG website Reddig Crew page and Mission Report. www.303rdbg.com.
Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Corrected typo in Description.
Lee Cunningham 11-May-2014 . Correcting Mission participation list per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 11-May-2015. Added Mission connections and aircraft ID per 303BG website: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-reddig.html
Lee Cunningham 1-Dec-2014 Corrected loss location and map designation.
Lee Cunningham 1-Dec-2014. Edited description with US military-style date significations, formatted and corrected crew information per MACR 15075 and 303BG Mission Report of 23-Nov-42 http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 5-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 15075; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW Database.
Lee Cunningham 5-Nov-2014. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 15075.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15075 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database