Lester W Schneider

Military

June - August 1943. Bombardier, Wroblicka crew. 381st BG, 534th BS, 8th AF. Shot down 12 August 1943 in B-17 #42-29954 'Devil's Angel'. Mission #17 to the synthetic oil works at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. MACR 383. Lost 2 engines to fighters. 1st 534th BS crew lost. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft III and Stalag VIIA.



Earlier on 29 July 1943 crash landed in Norfolk on return from Kiel in B-17 #42-3221 'Whale Tail' with 3 engines out. Crew returned.





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Units served with

The insignia of the 381st Bomb Group.

381st Bomb Group

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

People

Walter R Cecil

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38234081
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

David Edward Harris

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-670119
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Edwin M Jonson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37197647
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

John L Kratzer

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 20500924
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Joseph G Labushevicz

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36320870
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer

Aircraft

42-29954

42-29954

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Devil's Angel
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron
A crashed B-17F Flying Fortress (GD-E, serial number 42-3221) of the 534th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group , 29 July 1943. Official caption on image:'(GAD-126-2-381)(29-7-43)(A/C 3221 - Type B17F).' Printed caption beneath image: ' Squadron: 334th. Type of aircraft: B-17F. No.: 42-3221. Date of Mission: 29/7/43. Type of Damage: General - (propellers, engines, fuselage etc.). Damage By: Crash Landing. 0908.' Handwritten caption on reverse: '3221 'E' 381st BG 534th BS. Pilot 1st Lt. D. Lisnon. C/L 3 engines

42-3221

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Whaletail
  • Unit: 381st Bomb Group 534th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Stalag Luft III

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

Stalag VII-A

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

St Marys, Ohio, USA 3 January 1916

Other

Prisoner of War

Germany 12 August 1943 Stalag Luft III Stalag VIIA

Revisions

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Contributorjmoore43
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Added a "-" to the A/C type in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

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ContributorARowe95
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ARowe95

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ContributorARowe95
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ARowe95

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ContributorARowe95
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ARowe95

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ContributorARowe95
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ARowe95

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ContributorEmily
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Sources

Lt Col EB Menker, via American Air Museum Memory Book Correspondence

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ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 383, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop & Hey pp. 206-7, 230 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 383 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database