42-30665 Hunyak

Delivered Boeing 7/7/43; Gore 17/7/43; Dallas 8/8/43; Palm Springs 9/8/43; Geiger 10/8/43; Pendleton 12/8/43; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-E] Snetterton 1/9/43; Missing in Action Bordeaux 5/1/44 with Capt Donald Charles Cole (Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Thomas Henry Scott, Navigator: Harold Vincent Wiggins, Bombardier: James Merritt Bradley, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harland James Hendrix, Radio Operator: Joseph Gross, Ball turret gunner: Harold Thorne, Waist gunner: Ricard Joseph Gatesman, Waist gunner: Clarence Cecil Norton (4 Prisoner of War, 4 evaded capture and worked with Free French until after D-Day),Tail gunner: Robert Finney (evaded capture); flak & enemy aircraft KO’d three engines, horizontal stabilizer & tail shot off; crashed Rochevent, five miles East of Corme-Royal, four miles West of Saintes, France. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 2014. HUNYAK.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 96th Bomb Group.

96th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

James Merrit Bradley

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18067993 at enlistment, then O-726116
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Donald Charles Cole

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19038435 at enlistment, then O-421049
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Robert Finney

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6394292
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Richard Joseph Gatesman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13012941
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Joseph Gross

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13153161
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator Gunner

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

France 5 January 1944 Hit by Flak and enemy fighters, crashed near Rochevent, East of Corme-Royal, France.

Revisions

Date13 Oct 2018 09:52:17
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to markings, description, events and mission associations
Sources

MACR 2014

Date23 Mar 2018 22:53:07
ContributorBrian E Gross
ChangesChanges to description
Sources

I am the middle child of the late Joseph Gross, radio operator on this crew. My father passed away on May 31, 1994 in Voorhees NJ.
I've corrected the spelling of his name and the post-flight status of the crew members.

Date24 Jan 2017 16:32:45
ContributorLucy May
ChangesChanges to description
Sources

Corrected ball turret gunner's name from 'Harry Thome' to 'Harry Thorne'. See: MACR 2014

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:32
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2014 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database