Francis H Curry

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran media-380308.jpg FRE 1503 A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sondra Kay". England, 11 August 1943.

Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball (FE), Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin (BTG), New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis (TG), Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza (WG), Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis (R/O), Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Francis H Curry (WG), Roswell, New Mexico;

Back row, left to right: 2nd Lt Frank N Broach (B), Irving, Texas; 2nd Lt Albert (NMI) Rubin (CP), Chicago, Ill; 2nd Lt Henry O Cox (P), Crossville, Tenn; 2nd Lt Willis E Eddy (N), Battle Creek Mich. US Air Force Photo.'

Made corrections to the caption, adding crew positions and changing the plane name from "Sandra Kay" to "Sondra Kay" Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1503 - A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse:...

He resided in Dawson County, Texas prior to the war.



He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 1, 1940, prior to the war, in Lubbock, Texas. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in the production of rubber goods and also as Single, without dependents.



Francis was "Killed In Action" when his B-17, after receiving battle damage on a bombing raid over La Pallice, France, crash landed at Upper Cilgee Farm, Llanyre, two miles from Llandrindod Wells, Wales, during the war. He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-794117
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A crashed B-17F Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-30230) nicknamed "Homesick Angel", 24 August 1943. Official caption on image: "(GAD-15-4-388)(24-8-43)(A/C No. 230230 Type B-17F)." Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Rodgers. See note. Homesick Angel.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Homesick Angel
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Sondra Kay
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Sky Shy/ Wenatchee Special
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

1 October 1940

Other

388th BG Combat Tour

17 July 1943 - 16 September 1943 17 combat missions

Died

16 September 1943 On this date, the Cox Crew, returning from a mission to Bordeaux, running low on fuel and in bad weather, crashed at Upper Cilgee Farm, Powys, Wales. All 10 crew were KIA

Buried

25 September 1943 Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial • Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England Plot B Row 5 Grave 23  

Born

Born

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words in the "Role/job" field to aid readability.

Date
ContributorMichelbe
Changes
Sources

Michel Beckers WW2CRASHSITERESEARCH

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

ABMC / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Francis H Curry: Gallery (2 items)