Herman Carlton Currie
Military
Object Number - UPL 47718 - "Lt. Clifton and crew of the 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Yardbird Ii'. England, 20 July...
18-Mar-43 First mission despatched on mission to Vegesack, Germany, a strongly fortified shipbuilding region as Bombardier of B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS. The aircraft, piloted by 1LT Loyd D. Griffin, returned from mission with an excellent wheels up landing in a field about 4 miles from Molesworth. The aircraft was Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR). Crew suffered no injuries.
Completed a 25-mission tour on 27-Aug-43.
Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
PH/ DFC/ Air Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
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
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Ooold Soljer
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
![A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking Horse' of 303BG. Received 7/7/1944.' On reverse: Daily Graphic [Stamp, ref. no. M4226L].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407628.jpg.webp?itok=SpfDIv0I)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: The devil himself, red ass
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 31 March 1943
- Date: 22 March 1943
- Date: 18 March 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Winchester, Arkansas | 24 March 1918 | |
|
Other Mission #1, 1LT Herman C. Currie, W/B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS |
Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 18 March 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Germany. The aircraft sustained battle damage but the pilot was able to return to England and make a wheels-up belly landing in a field. He was not injured. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, 1LT Herman C. Currie, W/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 22 March 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #, 1LT Herman C. Currie, W/B-17F 42-5483, 303BG/360BS |
Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 | Served as Bombardier on B-17F 42-5483, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK. |
|
Died |
16 November 1983 | ||
|
Buried |
Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 6-Mar-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Repeport of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf
Lee Cunningham 6-Mar-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Repeport of 22-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/025.pdf
Lee Cunningham 6-Mar-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Repeport of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf
Lee Cunningham 6-Mar-2016. Edited Summary Biography to include details of the 18-Mar-43 event; Made connectione to Place and AIrcraft (through 31-Mar-43)and Missions (through 31-Mar-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 91,
