42-3453 | American Air Museum

42-3453

Delivered Cheyenne 28/6/43; Presque Is 17/8/43; Assigned 331BS/94BG [TS-K] Rougham 17/8/43; loaned to 96BG Snetterton for this mission. Missing in Action Schweinfurt 14 October 1943 with Pilot Silas S. Nettles, Co-pilot: Jerry V. LeFors, Navigator: Robert E. O’Hearn, Bombardier: Edward O. Jones, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Eugene F. Sebeck, Radio Operator: Charles F. Putman, Ball turret gunner: Marshall S. Hamer, Left Waist gunner: Kenneth L. Karlson, Right Waist gunner: Gregory C. Drobinko, Tail gunner: Charles R. Sibert (10 Prisoner of War). Enemy aircraft, crashed near Wurzburg, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 831.

Connections

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Units served with

A B-17 Flying Fortress (TS-C, serial number 42-9768) of the 333rd Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group, takes off in front of another B-17 Flying Fortress (CC-Z) of the 569th Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group.

333rd Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

A bomber crew of the 94th Bomb Group stand with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30200) nicknamed "Slo Time Sally" and a bomb inscribed 'Special delivery to Hitler'. Inscription on bomb reads: 'Special delivery to Hitler, From Peggy of St. Louis.'

94th Bomb Group

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

People

Gregory Clement Drobinko

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 32421887
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Marshall Simpson Hamer

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 35662827
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Edward Owen Jones

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 16067300 at enlistment, then O-676959
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Kenneth Leonard Karlson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 37306589
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Jerry Vance LeFors

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 18086878 at enlistment, then O-683032
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Places

Aerial photography Bury St Edmunds (Rougham) airfield, looking north, the technical site and T2 hangar are to the right, 7 June 1946. Photograph taken by No. 540 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/1557. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Bury St Edmunds

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Rougham

Presque Isle Army Airfield

Site type: Airfield
Known as: PIAAF / Presque Is

B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 96th Bomb Group at Snetterton Heath. Image via Mark Brown, AFA. Written on slide casing: 'BX dispersals Snetterton.'

Snetterton Heath

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Station 138

Missions

Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'

VIII Bomber Command 115

Date: 14 October 1943

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany

14 October 1943

crashed near Wurzburg, Germany

Revisions

Date9 Feb 2019 09:13:25

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

MACR 831

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:44

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 831 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database