41-24609 Holy Mackerel
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
B-17F 41-24609 'Holy Mackerel' assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-Q] Bangor 3-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42. On 23-Nov-43 the aircraft flown by Maj. George L. Robinson was the lead aircraft of the 303BG formation in the attack on the U-Boat Pens at St. Nazaire, France on the 4th mission for the Group. The aircraft was damaged by flak and the Navigator, Capt Harold Fulghum, thinking that the flak had killed the pilot, baled out of the aircraft and was taken Prisoner. No MACR issued.
On 4-Apr-43 the aircraft was declared Missing in Action on a mission to bomb the Renault Armament Works at Paris, France. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed at Bocasse, 12 miles N of Rouen, France. 6KIA 4POW MACR 15069
P 1Lt Ercil F. Eyster (KIA) CP 2Lt Fred H. Hayward (KIA)
N 2Lt John D. Shanks (KIA); B/TOG SSgt Marcus K. Davis (POW)
E/TTG TSgt Harold J Dunham (KIA); RO Sgt Edmund R. Thornton (POW)
BTG Eugene A. B. Nicosia (KIA); LWG Sgt George T. Morton (POW)
RWG SSgt Robert C. Alizer (POW); TG SSgt Floyd E. Bauer (KIA)
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-435758
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-421211
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O421211
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron 359th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-724266
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Places
Missions
- Date: 2 February 1943
- Date: 27 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
4 April 1943 | Shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed at Bocasse, France |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 1-Dec-2014. Added 23-Nov-42 narrative to description per 303BG Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf. Made place and mission connections per 303BG Mission Report of 23-Nov-42 and MACR 15609 (4-Apr-43); Formatted crew information with full proper names; MACR 15609; Edited description with military-style date designations.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15069 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database