Charles L Roth
Military![Sergeant Charles L. Roth, a ground crewman of the 303rd Bomb Group, fixes the nose turret gun 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 ‘238765.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'HE WANTS A STEAK IN CHICAGO. 20-year-old Sgt Charles L. Roth, of 6533 Meneriva Avenue, has an army job which suits him down to the ground - or up in the air. In c](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-378872.jpg.webp?itok=IUvw6KB-)
I have a copy of this picture at home, sent by Charles himself. I flew him and relatives on 06/11/94 above the crash site in France.
Object Number - FRE 1004 - Sergeant Charles L. Roth, Radio Operator (303rd Bomb Group), fixes the nose turret gun of his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed...
10-Jul-42 Assigned as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me"
On 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS while serving as Radio Operator the aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above while on a mission to bomb the port area at Lorient, France and crashed near Pluvinger, France. He was able to bale out of the stricken aircraft and was captured. Prisoner of War (POW).
Participated in 9 Operations (2 were aborted) See Biography events.
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
Aircraft
![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)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Beats Me
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Yardbird II
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Shak Hak
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 10 July 1942 | Assigned as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me" at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/3609BS. |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24602, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #6, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. |
|
Other Mission #7, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #8, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Krems an der Donau, Austria | 23 January 1943 - 9 June 1945 | Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems) Austria. Last Report date (Discharged in the US) 9-Jun-45. |
|
Other Mission #9, SSGT Charles L. Roth, W/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Radio Operator on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft eas struck by a bomb from above, but he was able to bale out before it crashed and was captured as a Prisoner of War. POW. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Arrival in UK event per 303BG wwebsite, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG wwebsite, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Aircraft and all Missions per 303BG wwebsite, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; added SN per MACR 15571; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; added crew position, target and loss details to Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum Membership List, July 2000; MACR 15571, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
![Sergeant Charles L. Roth, a ground crewman of the 303rd Bomb Group, fixes the nose turret gun 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 ‘238765.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'HE WANTS A STEAK IN CHICAGO. 20-year-old Sgt Charles L. Roth, of 6533 Meneriva Avenue, has an army job which suits him down to the ground - or up in the air. In c](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378872.jpg.webp?itok=k0VbemtR)