Kent M Fitzsimmons
Military ROLL OF HONOUR24-Jul-42 Assigned to B-17F #42-24579 'Thumper" 303BG/360BS as a Co-Pilot during Group Advanced Training at Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived with B-17F #42-24579 'Thumper" aircraft at Molesworth, UK. Flew as Co-Pilot on his missions #1 -5 on "Thumper'; Also flew as Co-Pilot on B-17F #42-5262 (Plocher - mission #7); B-17F #42-2973 'Iza Vailable' (Bilek - mission #8); B-17F #42-5260 (Farrar - mission #9); and B-17F #42-24559 'Ooold Soldier' Bartlett - missions #10 #11). Flew 11 operations and credited with 10 Missions.
Participated in 11 Operations (4 were Aborted) See Biography events
On 23 January 1943, (Mission # 6) in B-17F #41-24579 'Thumper', 303BG/360BS while serving as Co-Pilot the aircraft received battle damage on mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France but managed to make it back to England. Eight crew members and a photographer bailed out and one man was killed (KOM) and two men were Wounded in Action (WIA). The pilot and co-pilot landed wheels-up at Lulsgate Bottom airfield near Bristol. No MACR issued.
On 31-Mar-43 (Mission #11) in B-17F #41-29559 'Oooold Soljer' while serving as Co-Pilot the aircraft was despatched with twenty others from Molesworth between 0935 hrs and 0946 hrs on a mission to bomb the port facilities at Rotterdam, Holland. The formation was led by Col Romig. At 1020 hrs a mid-air collision occurred between B-17F #41-24559 and B-17F #42-29573 'Two Beauts' 303BG/358BS in 10/10ths cloud near Wellingborough. A/c 559 lost its right wing from the No 4 engine outboard. Both aircraft crashed at Mears Ashby, killing eight crew in a/c 559 and 7 in a/c 573. A total of 5 airmen were able to bail out of the stricken aircraft. 1st Lieutenant Fitzsimmons was killed in the collision. No MACR issued. 303rd Bomb Group website reports a memorial to the two crews is at Mears Ashby, UK.
DFC, Air Medal, Purple Heart
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
People
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 17 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Assigned to Group |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 24 July 1942 | Assigned to 303BG/360BS with aircraft B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper" as Co-Pilot in advanced training at Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
Other Station Assigment |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 - 31 March 1943 | Stationed with 303rd Bomb Group at Molesworth, UK. |
Other Mission # 1, 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24579 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper" 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. Aircraft aborted mission. Reason not documented in Mission Report. |
Other Mission # 2, 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons w/B-17F 41-24579 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper" 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission # 3, 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper"on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper: 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille France. Aircraft aborted mission. Reason not documented in Mission Report. |
Other Mission #5, 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. . RTB OK. |
Other Mission #6, 2LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24579 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-24579 "Thumper"on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft RTB with hydraulics and 2 engines out. Belly landed at Lusgate Bottom, UK. 1KIA 2WIA 7RTD. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #7, 1LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons w/B-17F 42-5262, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Hamm, Germany | 14 February 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-5262, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb industrial targets at Hamm, Germany, but severe weather forced Wing Command to recall the entire 303BG formation. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #8, 1LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 42-2973 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 26 February 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-2973 "Iza Vailable", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven Germany. Aborted because ball turret electrical heating system malfunctioned. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #9, 1LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 42-5260 303BG/360BS |
Rouen, France | 12 March 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 42-5260 "Yardbird", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK |
Other Mission #10, 1LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 22 March 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soldier", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the port area of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK |
Other Mission #11, 1LT Kent M. Fitzsimmons, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS (KOM) |
Mears Ashby, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN6, UK | 31 March 1943 | Killed when his aircraft B-17F 14-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS sustained a mid-air collision with B-17F 42-29573 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS over Mears Ashby, UK. The aircraft were on a mission to bomb the Wilton Shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. KOM |
Born |
Bent County, Colorado | ||
Buried |
Buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Plot D, Row 1, Grave 73 |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Completed entry by adding mission paricipations statement to Summary Biography pere 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 25-Feb-43. Added recall info to Mission #7 note pere 303BG records http://www.303rdbg.com
Lee Cunningham 1-Feb-2016. Edited Mission events with his name and rank, added target info to notes for consistency with or 303BG losses per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Aircraft he served in to Description per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian.:http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Finalizing Descritption and Mission connections from analysis of 303BG website Mission Reports associated with this airman, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Mission #9 and reconciled 11 missions per 303BG Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/022.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015 Added Mission # 9 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 22-Mar-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/025.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Mission #8 evenr per 303BG website Mission Report of 12-Mar-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/022.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 26-Feb-43, Gray Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015 Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website Mission Report of 23-Jan-43, Gary Moncur, historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015 Added Mission event #5 per 303BG website Mission Report of 20-Dec-42, Gray Moncur, historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Asssignment event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian; Added Station Assignment date based on aircraft arrival and MIA date, "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Added Mission connections and events per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Made connection to 42-2973 on 26-Feb-43 Mission per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf
Lee Cunningham 21-Jul-2015. Made connection to 42-5262 on 14-Feb-43 Mission per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Jul-2015 Added MISSION #1 event per 303BG Mission Report of 17-Nov-43, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 12-Feb-2015. Added decorations and Burial event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; SN, loss details and Biography based on 303rd Bomb Group website records.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History; Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 94, 66, 303rd web site, ABMC web site