George Vernon Stallings
Military
Rear L-R: 1Lt James F Kelley, 1Lt George V Stallings, 1Lt Joseph E Bradbury, 1Lt Frank E. Kulesa.
Front L-R: T/Sgt Meyer Levin, T/Sgt Arthur S Stevens, Sgt Walter K Pallage, S/Sgt John J Stickler, S/Sgt Lawrence C Pierson, S/Sgt Robert H Yattaw, T/Sgt James A Watson.
Object Number - UPL 31542 - Lt Stallings and crew of the 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, based in England, pose in front of Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Thumper Again"....
20-Mar-43 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17 42-5393 "Thumper Again", 303BG/360BS at Molesworth, UK with the rank of First Lieutenant.
25-Jun-43 While serving as Pilot of B-17 42-5486 "Quinine The Bitter Dose", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards and submarine construction yards at Hamburg, Germany the aircraft was attacked by German fighters killing the Radio Operator, TSGT Dick W. Jones and badly damaging the aircraft. Cpt Stallings managed to fly the crippled aircraft back to England where he ordered the crew to bail out near Coltishall, Norfolk. After the crew bailed out CPT Stallings turned the aircraft eastward toward the sea and abandoned the aircraft a short distance from the shoreline at Waxham, Norfolk. He came down in his parachute in the water but managed to free himself and swim to the shore. NO MACR was issued for this loss. Returned to Duty (RTD).
Awards: DFC (British), DFC, AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-728560
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16068920
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-?
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13040917
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner, Togglier
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ooold Soljer
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
![Two airmen of the 303rd Bomb Group admire the nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Iza Vailable". Printed caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, 'Sacred' and U.S. Official Photograph O.W.I. [Stamps].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407619.jpg.webp?itok=aEyghgX9)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Iza vailable
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
![Ground personnel of the 303rd Bomb Group prepare to load bombs and ammunition into a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Satan's Workshop". Passed as censored, then marked as 'Confidential' 27 Aug 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: '303BG.' On reverse: 'Confidential Until Re-Classified By Censor' and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407608.jpg.webp?itok=L4yllyAy)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Satan's Workshop
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Yardbird II
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Just For Laughs, Little Woman, Thumper Again
- Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 100th Bomb Group 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 28 March 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
New York City, NY | 4 February 1918 | Son of Adelaide Patterson Stallings. |
|
Enlisted |
Hartford, CT | 18 December 1941 | Hartford, Connecticut |
|
Other Commissioned |
25 July 1942 | Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. | |
|
Other Mission #1, 1LT George V. Stallings, Jr., w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 26 February 1943 | Flew as a Passenger and Observer on B-17 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilehlmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 20 March 1943 | Assigned as Pilot, with crew, to B-17 42-5393 "Thumper Again", 303BG/360BS at Molesworth, UK. |
|
Other Discharged USAAF |
31 August 1963 | ||
|
Died |
23 August 1991 | ||
| Rowayton, CT |
Revisions
Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency
Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 8-Mar-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 26-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Mar-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, George V. Stallings crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/360stallings.html
Lee Cunningham 8-Mar-2016. Added inital assignment with unit and loss paragraph on 42-5486; Made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 31-Mar-43) and Missions (through 31-Mar-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: George V. Stallings crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/360stallings.html. Loss details based on "The Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor
