Francis Page Nelson Jr

Military
media-7582.jpeg UPL 7582 41-24529 BK-E, UNNAMED. During an engine check mission on 9 October 1943, the ship overshot the runway and ran into a ditch. The undercarriage collapsed & blocked a nearby road, with Pilot-John M. Berbrich, Copilot-Francis Page Nelson Jr., Navigator-Julius S. Schwartz, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner-Gilbert O. Jacobs, 4 returned to duty (RTD). The accident enquiry resulted in a determination of 100% pilot error. Salvaged on 17 October 1943. The ship still has the squadron markings (JJ) from the 422 Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group.

384thbombgroup.com

Object Number - UPL 7582 - 41-24529 BK-E, UNNAMED. During an engine check mission on 9 October 1943, the ship overshot the runway and ran into a ditch. The undercarriage...

Assigned to 545BS, 384BG, 8AF USAAF. 11 x combat missions.



Accident on 9-Oct-43 on slow-timing flight of B-17 41-24529. RTD.



Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick in B-17 42-5444 "We Dood It" 30-Jan-44; shot down by fighters. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2263.



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39096585
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-799712
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14104331
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-683176
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane.  Four men standing to the rear and six men kneeling in front.
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37375902
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator / Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 546th Bomb Squadron 305th Bomb Group 422nd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: We Dood It
  • Unit: 403rd Air Depot 303rd Bomb Group 384th Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron 545th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Crozet, Virginia 4 February 1921 Son of Francis Page Sr and Ruth Lee [Wayland] Nelson.

Enlisted

Richmond, VA 1 April 1942 Richmond, Virginia

Other

Baled out POW

1 January 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Brunswick in B-17 42-5444 "We Dood It" 30-Jan-44; shot down by fighters. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2263

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 30 January 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Waynesboro, VA 15 March 2013

Buried

Miller School Cemetery Albemarle County, VA 18 March 2013 Miller School Cemetery Albemarle County, Virginia

Based

Grafton Underwood 30 January 1944 Assigned to 545BS, 384BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entries to include details from:
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=2895;
- MACR 2263 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entries to include details from:
- http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=2895;
- MACR 2263 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

AAM DB Entry.

Date
Contributorbombercommand
Changes
Sources

384thbombgroup.com

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Self, via American Air Museum Memory Book Correspondence.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2263, 8th AF Losses, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 321, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=…

Francis Page Nelson: Gallery (1 items)