Homer R Allen
Military ROLL OF HONOUR15-Jul-42 Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 42-2967 [PU-G] "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Shak Hak"
16-Feb-42 Shot down in B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS The aircraft was attacked by fighters and crashed in the English Channel. Killed in Action (KIA).
1st Lieutenant Homer R. Allen was born on January 22, 1919, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Floyd Allen. He was married to Dorothy Fay Allen. His hometown was Ventura, California, and he was a 1942 graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He also was a member of the campus Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). He received his commission as an officer on July 4, 1942.
On February 16, 1943, he was bombardier on “Shack Hak,” B-17F 42-2967, of the 303rd Bomb Group, 360th Bomb Squadron. Their target was the German submarine base at St. Nazaire, France. One witness stated that the plane “went down in water off Brest, France.” Neither LT Allen nor any member of his crew was ever recovered.
Participated in 5 Operations (NO Aborts) See Biography events.
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
![Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378931.jpg.webp?itok=VX83NyM9)
Missions
![B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group fly over countryside. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 16 Feb 1943.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: '7-12 Liberator planes of U.S. Bomber Command in flight at the start of an operational patrol from their base "somewhere in England". And February 17th 1943 PN'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379113.jpg.webp?itok=PMFn3r3H)
- Date: 16 February 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 18 November 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 17 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Ventura, California | 22 January 1919 | 1st Lieutenant Homer R. Allen was born on January 22, 1919, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Floyd Allen. He was married to Dorothy Fay Allen. His hometown was Ventura, California, and he was a 1942 graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Science Degree. He also was a member of the campus Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC). He received his commission as an officer on July 4, 1942. |
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 15 July 1942 | Assigned as Navigator on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak" at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS. |
|
Other Mission #1, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
18 November 1942 | Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #3, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, 2LT Homer R. Allen, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 16 February 1943 | Served as Navigator of B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shot down by fighters and crashed into the sea, He was Killed in Action. (KIA) |
|
Other Commemorated |
Saint-James, France | Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany Amercian Cemetery. | |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
English Channel | 16 February 1943 | On February 16, 1943, he was bombardier on “Shack Hack,” B-17 tail #42-2967, of the 303rd Bomb Group, 360th Bomb Squadron. Their target was the German submarine base at St. Nazaire, France. One witness stated that the plane “went down in water off Brest, France.” Neither LT Allen nor any member of his crew was ever recovered. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 24-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303Bg website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 23-Jan-43) and Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
IDPF and/or crash report researched by Bill Beigel. IDPF donated to American Air Museum by Bill Beigel. For more information about this flyer, you may contact http://ww2research.com.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15116 / MACR 15116, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Heys pp. 77-78 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database