Irwin Dane Blankenship
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Object Number - UPL 49639 - 1Lt Ehle H. Reber (P), 2Lt Jarold J. Byrom (N), 2Lt Robert J. Swindle (B), 2Lt Allan D. Mitchell (CP). This was the cover photograph on the New York...
1-May-1942 Assigned as and Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar". Apparently he and the crew were re-assigned to B-17F 41-24607 [GN-W] "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS, no explanation was found in the records of 303BG on their website.
Shot down 23-Jan-43 in B-17 41-24607 "Jerry JinxX", 303BG/427BS. Aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at Lorient, France and crashed in to Bay of Biscay. Killed in Action (KIA). Crew position verified from crew records of the 303rd Bomb Group website, Gary Moncur, historian.
Participated in 6 Operations (1 was aborted) 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
People
![First Lieutenant Ehle H. Reber and Captain Lloyd R. Cole, both of the 303rd Bomb Group, relax in Reber's quarters. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 25 Jan 1943.' [stamp] and '245295.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'How the boys live and work at Flying Fortress Station in England. Wide World Photo shows: 1st Lieut. Ehle H. Reber, Malin, Oregon (left) and Captain Lloyd R. Cole, Winchester, KY. In Reber's quarters, which, as you see, he's turned into a](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378909.jpg.webp?itok=wj-qwQe0)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-414648
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Jerry Jinx & What's Up Doc?
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description: 72 HBs attack air de pot at Romilly-sur-Seine in effective raid. 6 bmrs are lost to ftrs.
- Date: 12 December 1942
- Official Description: 17 HBs bomb Rouen-Sotteville M/Y. Bad weather prevents large attack planned for air installations at Romilly-sur-Seine.
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description: 36 HBs attack Atelier d’Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille while a smaller group of aircraft bomb Abbeville/Drucat A/F.
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Brittany Cemetary
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Ramsey, IL | 11 January 1913 | |
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 | Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 25 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as an Aerial Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS. |
|
Other Re-assigned to Aircraft |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 November 1942 | Re-assigned with crew to B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS. Reason not found in available 303BG records. |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK |
|
Other Mission #4, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #6, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS - KIA |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, France and he was killed. KIA |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Killed when aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at Lorient, France and crashed into the sea. |
|
Buried Commemorated |
Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial | Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 7-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Re-aassigned to aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Arrival in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment, arrival in UK event, and Operations participation to Summary Biography; made connections to all Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Added SN and KIA event per MACR 15473; Added Role per 303rd Bomb Group website, Gary Moncur, historian; Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited Biography per "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 / MACR 15473 / MACR 15473, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 66 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
