42-5130 Sweet Pea
Son -Robert A Hermann
B-17F-15-BO 42-5130 [GY:] "Sweet Pea" was delivered at Denver 29-Sep-42; Presque Isle, ME 20-Nov-42; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY- ] Thurleigh 25-Nov-42; Missing in Action on mission of 6-Mar-43 to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient. Sustained damage from flak and crashed near Quimper, France. 1KIA 8POW 1EVD. Missing Air Crew Report (MACR)15568. SWEET PEA.
The pilot MAJ John L. Ryan was the Commanding Office of the 367BS and the only Squadron Commander of the 306BG to be listed MIA during hostilities. He managed to bale out of the stricken aircraft and evaded capture. Returning to England on 17-Apr-43 when he was picked up by RAF Lysander.
P MAJ John L. Ryan (EVD); CP 1LT Gerald L. Simmons (KIA)
N 1LT Robert B. Herman (POW); B 1LT James A. Laine (POW)
E/TTG TSGT Charles E. Perry (POW); RO SSGT Glenn A. Blakemore (POW)
BTG SSGT William H. Forrester (POW); LWG SSGT John R. Chapman (POW)
RWG SSGT James C. Green, Jr. (POW); TG SSGT Robert G. Mumaw (POW)
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: 305th Bomb Group 306th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron 423rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11016909
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner ; Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17032540
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18081398
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15099498
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18058542
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: PIAAF / Presque Is
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Missions
- Date: 6 March 1943
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
Quimper, France | 6 March 1943 | Shot down by AA fire and crashed near Quimper, France on a mission to bombe the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 19-Jul-2015. Added Nickname and edited Description converting dates to military-style signification and target details and added note about pilot per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added FTR event and added crew position, rank, full proper name and disposition of all crew members and formatted crew display per MACR 15568.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15568 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database