Jack M Webb

Military
media-29606.jpeg UPL 29606 Lt. William Burtt And Crew Of The 322nd Bomb Sq., 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, In Front Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Man O War, Ii, Horsepower Ltd". England, 10 February 1944. - 1LT William S. Burtt & crew, 322nd Bomb Sq, 91st BG with B-17G 42-38083 "Man-O-War II - Horsepower LTD" (coded LG-V), 10 February 1944. The ship replaced their earlier "Man-O-War - Horsepower LTD" (serial 42-37987) in which they'd managed to complete one mission - barely. On the 29 January sortie to Frankfurt they were badly shot up by enemy fighters. Limping back across the Channel, a third engine failed just as they crossed the English coast; they promptly crash-landed.
BACK ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT:
Sgt. Harold H. Jones, Radio Operator (Mont Alto, Pennsylvania); S/Sgt. Vern P. Woodward, Top Turret Gunner (Greenwich, New York); Sgt. Weiss, Waist Gunner (Michigan); Sgt. Jack Webb, Waist Gunner (Illinois); Sgt. John J. (Moose) Wheeler, Tail Gunner (Buffalo, New York); Sgt. Rudolph (Rudy) Thigpen, Ball Turret Gunner (Shreveport, Louisiana); Unknown
FRONT ROW - LEFT TO RIGHT:
2nd Lt. R.L. West, Navigator (Cincinnati, Ohio); 1st Lt. William S. Burtt, Pilot (Grand Rapids, Michigan); 1st Lt. Frank Alford, Co-Pilot (Texas)

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/crewphotos/manowar2.html

Object Number - UPL 29606 - Lt. William Burtt And Crew Of The 322nd Bomb Sq., 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, In Front Of A Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" "Man O War, Ii,...

Jack Webb was a 324 Sqdn Flight Engineer with the 91st BG.



While forming up on a mission an electrical fire in the TT spread to the oxygen system and Webb was 'kicked out' of the escape hatch with his 'chute on fire. As he descended he spotted a horse in a field which he hit, breaking his fall. The incident was later the subject of a Ripley 'Believe it or not' cartoon in the 'Chicago Sun'. Webb completed his tour before D-Day and recalled his most terrifying mission as that of the first daylight raid on Berlin. On another raid - on New Year's Eve over Ludwigshaven - they so lagged behind the main force due to aircraft damage that base personnel had already folded up their beds.

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.

91st Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

An airman of the 91st Bomb Group in the cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31515) nicknamed "The Wild Hare" at Bassingbourn.

42-31515

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Wild Hare
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron

42-37987

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Man O’ War - Horsepower Ltd.
  • Unit: 2nd Strategic Air Depot 91st Bomb Group 322nd Bomb Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter
Changes
Sources

Biography completed by historian Helen Millgate. Information sourced from newsletters of the 91st Bomb Group related to the service of Jack M. Webb,;

https://cse.google.com/cse?cx=008759824740934768176:myyicvtnktw&q=jack%….

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

91st BG / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia

Jack M Webb: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: UPL 29606 - Lt. William Burtt And Crew Of The 322nd Bomb Sq...

Object number: UPL 38520 - "The Wild Hare" and crew.