Francis Douglas Bowles

Military

Completed 8 missions over enemy territory and Germany. Flew as togglier over Vegesack, Germany. Shot down 5 April 1943 in B-17 #4229660 over Antwerp, Belgium. Prisoner of War (POW). Hospitalized for treatment of a shrapnel wound of the lower spine. Prisoner of War (POW) in Stalag 3 moved to 49-11 Nuremberg.



AM/ POW/ PH

Connections

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Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.

306th Bomb Group

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

People

Earl Benson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11033289
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Arthur Bird

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13067899
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Glenn Adkins Blakemore

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17032540
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

George V Bryan

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-663232
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

John R Chapman

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 367th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18081398
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Aircraft

42-29660

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group

Places

Stalag Luft III

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Stalag XIII-D

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 13D, Oflag 73

Stalag XVII-B

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 17b, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Boston, Massachusetts 8 July 1923 He was born in Boston, Mass., on July 8, 1923. His parents were the late Calvin C. and Cassandra H. Bowles of Boston. He attended schools in Champlain, N.Y., and Boston. In October 1937, he transferred from Boston Latin to live with Ellen H. Craigue of Wolfeboro. Her father, Henry F. Hayes of Mirror Lake, N.H., was his guardian. He graduated from Brewster Academy in 1941, received a BA from UNH in 1949, an MEd from Plymouth State in 1952, and an EdD from the University of Rochester, N.Y., in 1967. He completed post – doctoral study at the University of Houston in 1978. He was a Professor Emeritus at SUNY Oneonta. As a professional educator for over 35 years, he was on the faculty of SUNY Oswego and Geneseo, N.Y. He taught at the University of Florida and Trent Polytechnical College in Nottingham, England and had a number of publications in professional journals. During World War II, he was a prisoner of war for 25 months in Stalag Luft XVII-B in Krems, Austria. He collaborated with his wife, Marnie, in preparing and publishing “A Directory of New Hampshire Ex-POWS,” Kingswood Press, 1997. While serving with the 8th Air Force in European Theatre, he was awarded the Purple Heart and Air Medal. He was honorably discharged in October, 1945 with a rank of M/Sgt. He is survived by three sons and a daughter, Roderick D. of Newmarket, N.H., Todd F. of Santa Barbara, Calif., Jodd P. of Auburn, and Kris T. Palmatier of Schoharie, N.Y; and five grandchildren.

Revisions

Date
ContributorCMartel
Changes
Sources

(Combat Crews, The 306th Bombardment Group (H), 1942-1945, Russell A. Strong)

Date
ContributorCMartel
Changes
Sources

Roderick D. Bowles (son of Francis Douglas Bowles)
Kriege memories by Ben H. Phelper (book)
Combat crew The 306ty bombardment group (H),1942-1945 by Russell A. Strong (Book)
https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-29660-lil-abner/
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/10954
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/255
https://www.sunjournal.com/2004/03/26/f-douglas-bowles/
http://www.8thafhsoregon.com/archive/306th/306th-BG-Combat-Crews-16.pdf
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighth_Air_Force
https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=william-a-…
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/955
https://www.americanairmuseum.com/place/376
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/306th_Flying_Training_Group

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Roll of Honor, 306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 100, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp 82, NARA