Jerry Vance LeFors

Military

Jerry LeFors was Co-Pilot on the 8 October 1943 mission to Bremen, Germany. On the 14 October 1943 one to Schweinfurt, Germany, he was shot down in B-17 #42-3453. Prisoner of War (POW)

Connections

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Units served with

339th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

96th Bomb Group

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

People

Gregory Clement Drobinko

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 32421887
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Marshall Simpson Hamer

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 35662827
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Edward Owen Jones

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 16067300 at enlistment, then O-676959
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Kenneth Leonard Karlson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 37306589
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Silas Simmons Nettles

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 96th Bomb Group 339th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 14090954 at enlistment, then O-798019
Highest Rank: Colonel
Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-3453

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Unit: 94th Bomb Group 333rd Bomb Squadron

Missions

Three B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 94th Bomb Group are attacked by a Nazi Fighter aircraft during a mission. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A-62641 USAF: Nazi fighter plane attacking Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" during a bomb run over enemy installations somewhere in Europe, 10 September 1944. 100th[sic] Bomb Group, 3rd Bomb Division. U.S. Air Force Photo.'

VIII Bomber Command 115

Date: 14 October 1943

B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 388th Bomb Group fly over Nazi smoke screens. Printed caption on reverse: '73228 AC- The Nazis have released smoke screens in an effort to hide their railroad yards as Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" fly over the target at Bremen, Germany, prior to the release of the bombs. 8 October 1943.'

VIII Bomber Command 111

Date: 8 October 1943

Places

Snetterton Heath

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Station 138

Stalag Luft III

Site type: Prisoner of war camp
Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Oklahoma	19 July 1921
Enlisted		30 March 1942	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Other captured		14 October 1943	after bailing out of 42-3453 over Schweinfurt, Germany
Other Prisoner of War (POW)		14 October 1943	Interned at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan, Poland. Force-marched from there to Stalag 7A, Moosburg, Germany, where liberated by US troops on 29 April 1945. NARA WWII POW records: "Returned to Military Control 12 May 1945."
Died		8 April 2008	Las Vegas, Nevada
			Lawton, Comanche County, Oklahoma

Revisions

Date9 Feb 2019 10:05:09

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

MACR 831
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records
SSDI Death Index

Date5 Jul 2017 10:59:09

ContributorLucy May

Changes

Sources

http://www.ww2pow.info/index.php?page=directory&rec=86199

Date27 Sep 2014 18:15:12

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self; MACR 831; Snetterton Falcons pg 61 & 76