Joseph W. Daugherty was a member of the 351st Bomb Group of the 8th Air Force.



On March 22, 1944, the group was flying its 4th mission out of Polebrook, England (near Peterborough). It was too foggy to bomb Berlin so the group split up and were bombing ‘targets of opportunity.’ When they went to re-join their unit, they ran into a bombing pattern of another group dropping incendiary bombs (believed to be the 475th group, their sister group).



The bombardier was killed on impact. The co-pilot bailed out but was never heard from. Joe and Jim Higgins bailed out and were captured by the Germans. The pilot, whose last name was Slossen, flew the plane till everyone got out, then went down with the plane.



Joe was taken to Stalag Luft III in Sagan, Germany. He later was taken to Stalag VIIA in Moosburg, Germany. He was liberated from Moosburg in April, 1945.



B-17G #42-39849 crashed E of Berlin after the no 3 engine and tail section were set on fire on a mission to Berlin on 22 Mar 1944. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW