Edward T Levering

Military

10-Jul-1942 Assigned as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. It appears from available records that he and his crew were re-assigned to B-17F #42-2966 at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine on or about 5-Oct-42. He, his crew and B-17F #42-2966 arrived at Molesworth, UK on 28-Oct-42.



On 23 January 1943 in B-17F #41-24584 'Susfu' while serving as Tail Gunner the aircraft was attacked by FW 190 and went down under control between Lorient and Brest, France. Crashed at Abbey Pleyben. Losses shows him as a Prisoner of War (POW).



Participated in 9 Operations (5 were Aborted) See Biography events.

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

The tail of a B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 41-24569) nicknamed "Memphis Tot" of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, shot down near Zwolle. Handwritten caption on reverse: '124569. Memphis Tot. SD. 4/2/43. 427BS. Near Zwolle.'

41-24569

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Memphis Tot
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

41-24584

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Susfu
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group, with their B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 42-2966), after a raid on Germany. From left to right they are: Sergeant Ward W. Kirkpatrick (Kalispel, Montana); Technical Sergeant Lucian W. Means, (Luguna Beach, California); First Lieutenant Milton K. Conver (Cincinnatti, Ohio); Second Lieutenant John W Dillenger (Avoca, Iowa), Co-Pilot; Captain B.B. Southworth (Columbus, Ohio), Pilot; Sergeant Jack Belk (Temple, Texas); Sergeant William Fleming (Burdine, Kentu

42-2966

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: No 11 Combat Crew Replacement Center No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Mission #9, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS - POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1942 Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was sshot down by German fighters, but he managed to bale out of the stricken aircraft and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW).

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as Ball Turret Gunner with crew of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Change in Aircraft Assignment

Bangor, ME, USA 5 October 1942 Re-asssigned, with crew, to B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 28 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS.

Other

Mission #1, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 23 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS

23 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24517, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24517 "Kali", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Greman air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8, SGT Edward T. Levering, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS

Rouen, France 30 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 23 January 1943 - 8 May 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 8-May-45.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to all the A/C serial numbers in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 19-Feb-2016. Corrected crew position in Mission #8 per 303BG Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #8 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 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #7 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 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #6 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 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Oct-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Oct-2015. 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 21-Oct-2015. 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 21-Oct-2015. 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 21-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Dec-2015. Added Change to Aircraft Assignment event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 21-Dec-2015. Added initial aircraft assignment, arrival in UK and mission participation statement to Summary Biography; made connections to all aircraft and mission participations based on my research of 303BG Mission Reports, 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian and Harry A. Robey crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-robey.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added SN per MACR 15571; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data: Edited Biography and added crew position per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 66, 303rd web site, MACR 15571