Francis George Dolsen
Military
My photo, taken 7 October 2018.
Object Number - UPL 35510 - B-17 'Squawkin' Hawk' crew memorabilia.
Francis Dolsen was Assistant Radio Operator on his 14th mission. On that mission, November 5, 1943 to Gelsenkirchen on B-17 #42-30088 'Squawkin' Hawk II', pilot William R. Flesh ordered a bail out after plane suffered severe bomb damage. 8 men jumped, but pilot Flesh and Co-Pilot John G. Gossage were able to regain control and landed at the RAF base at Tangmere, Kent. Francis Dolsen was one of the four men made prisoner. Radio Operator Conner Brewster was killed when his parachute didn't open. Three other crew members managed to evade with the help of the Belgian Comète evasion network. MACR 15553.
Awards : Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster/ WWII POW Medal.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12052065 at enlistment, then O-676309
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32287971
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 20902175
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 349th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37259551
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
Places
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
13 February 1921 | ||
|
Other captured |
5 November 1943 | in the vicinity of Peer, Limburg Province, Belgium, after bailing out of B-17 42-30088 | |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
5 November 1943 | Interned at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Poland. Force-marched from there to another (unidentified) camp. NARA WWII POW records : "Returned to Military Control 10 August 1945." | |
|
Died |
4 September 2016 | Novi, Michigan | |
|
Buried |
Francis Dolsen rests at the Wixom Cemetery, Wixom, Oakland County, Michigan |
Revisions
Added " / " in the "Role/job" field as a separator to aid readability.
Added an Association to the 100th BG, the parent bomb group of the 349th, 350th, 351st & 418th Bomb Squadrons & the 412th Air Service group.
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
MACR 15553
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
VA Gravesite Locator
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey pp. 511-2