Ernest L Bockstanz

Military

While ferrying plane to UK we stopped at Iceland. On taxiing out for take off, pilot locked controls in neutral because of whnd. When starting takeoff run he found controls locked and we headed to right so he jockeyed engine speeds to pull us back while groping wheels lock. We went back and forth 3 or 4 times till he got controls unlocked and continued our take off. We were less than 20 feet off ground at end of runway. Prisoner of War (POW) Shot down by fighters and crashed at Schelesttstadt on 7/13/44 in B-17 #4297953. Was 10 months in Stalag Luft 1 (Barth)



POW/ Air Medal w 3/Oak Leaf Cluster

Connections

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Units served with

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Pantucket, Rhode Island, USA

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

France 13 July 1944

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7499 / MACR 7499, http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=3048 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database