Donald E Stockton

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-49638.jpeg UPL 49638 Roommates Bill Goetz, Don Stockton and Ehle Reber

http://www.303rdbg.com/news/2012-02-19.html (The Molesworth Pilot; 303rd Bomb Group Newsletter)

Object Number - UPL 49638 - Roommates Bill Goetz, Don Stockton and Ehle Reber

1-May-1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F #41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. He arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Joe BTKSPLK" on 25-Oct-42.



Killed in Action (KIA) 14-May-43 while serving as Pilot of B-17F #41-24619 "S-for-Sugar" 303BG/427BS when he was hit by friendly .50 cal fire from another B-17. The aircraft went into a steep dive when he slumped over the controls but the Co-Pilot 2LT John C. Barker was able to regain control of the aircraft and return is safely back to Molesworth. It was CPT Stockton's 24th mission. His death hit his comrades very hard as he was just one mission shy of being the first pilot to complete his tour of duty. In an attempt to hide the fact Stockton had been killed by friendly fire, the public report stated a FW-190 20mm shell had penetrated the cockpit. Comrades of Stockton's, like waist gunner Bill Flemming, have debunked this.



Mission participation (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.



DFC, Silver star, Air Medal

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

41-24584

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Susfu
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Lieutenant Fort W. Lipe of the 303rd Bomb Group, signals 'V for Victory' from the cockpit of his B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-T, serial number 41-24610 ) nicknamed "Joe Btfsplk II". Passed for publication 16 Dec 1942. Printed caption on reverse: 'Lt. Fort W. Lipe, of the Air Corps, of Irving, Illinois was with the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. He is 23 and is engaged to Miss Edith Kesinger, of 314 North-St., Normal, Illinois. His greeting is silent, optimistic and emphatic. As O.P.S. he sends it in the V sign.' On

41-24610

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Joe Btfsplk II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Captain Albert W. Dieffenback, a bombardier of the 303rd Bomb Group, admires Bugs Bunny painted onto the nose of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed as censored 9 May 1943. Printed caption on reverse: '14. Captain Albert W. Dieffenbach, of Garrett Park, Md., and the bomber in which he flies as group bombardier.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamp].

41-24619

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: S For Sugar
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Boise, ID, USA 1 May 1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho with the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 25 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard and as the Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "JoeBTFSPLK",303BG/427BS

Other

Mission #1 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS - Aborted.

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens a St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France.

Other

Mission #4 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Roeun, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 3 January 1943 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8 1LT Donald E. Stockton, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives locomotive works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Killed in Action KIA

Kiel, Germany 14 May 1943 Killed by friendly .50 Cal fire from another B-17 while serving as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar" 303BG/427BS. The Co-Pilot 2LT John C. Barker was able to take control and fly the aircraft back to Molesworth, UK

Buried

Buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Plot D, Row 4, Grave 59.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
ContributorTheWW2Memoirs
Changes
Sources

I found my information in the highly acclaimed book "The Mighty Eighth" by Gerald Astor.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Corrected Mission #6 event date and flagged as aborted per Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 9-Jan-2016. Corrected initial assigment to location and Assigned to Aircraft location per 303BG records, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Arrival in UK evetn per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Donald E. Stockton crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-stockton.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added Assigne to Aircraft evetn per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Donald E. Stockton crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-stockton.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 8-Jan-2016. Added initial assigment info to Summary Biography and made connections to aircraft and missions (through 23-Jan-43) and KIA event and note per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Donald E. Stockton crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-stockton.html; Added Burial event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) records.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Hell's Angels Newsletter May 2001, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 498, ABMC, 303rd web site personnel listing

Donald E Stockton: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 49638 - Roommates Bill Goetz, Don Stockton and Ehle Reber