41-24602 Yardbird II
B-17F 41-24602 was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-A] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; On the 29-May-43 mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France the aircraft was damaged by flak over the target and then attacked and shot down by fighters and crashed at Menior du Launay in the community of Pluebian,France. 2KIA 8POW No MACR issued.
P 1Lt Joseph E Trojan (POW); CP 1Lt Thomas A. Vaughn (KIA)
N 1Lt Parlew W. Madsen, Jr. (POW); B 1Lt Jack W. Stewart (POW)
E/TTG SSgt Paul H Prescott (KIA); RO SSgt Cecil E. Craft (POW)
BTG SSgt Joseph R. Sunderlin (POW); LWG SSgt Martin A. Semonick (POW)
RWG SSgt Frank W. Bartless (POW); TG SSgt Lincoln T. O’Connell (POW)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17035019
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner; Waist Gunner
![Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378931.jpg.webp?itok=VX83NyM9)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16035724
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18080265
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18065172
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner, Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13047686
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Places
Missions
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
29 May 1943 | Shot down by fighters and crashed at Pluebian, France. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2015. Added Block number, markings, FTR event and edited Description based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections ot Squadron, Place and Mission within existing website data; converted dates to military-style signification; added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition from 303rd Bomb Group website Personnel records, historian Gary Moncur; formatted crew display.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database