Martin Paul Bachicha

Military

Shot down by flak burst and crashed N of St Pol, FR on a mission to Wizernes, FR on 19 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-31926 'Lovell's Hovel'. Prisoner of War (POW).



POW

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.

384th Bomb Group

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

People

James MacNaughton Lovell

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-802209
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-31484

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Mairsy Doats
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron 546th Bomb Squadron 547th Bomb Squadron
42-31926 lovells hovel

42-31926

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Lovell's Hovel
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortresses nicknamed "London Avenger", nicknamed "Bermondsley Battler", nicknamed "Rotherhithe's Revenge" and nicknamed "Bermondsley" of the 379th Bomb Group, 15 February 1944. Passed for publication 16 Feb 1944. Censor no: 305411. Handwritten caption on reverse: '16/2/44.' Printed caption on reverse: ' CHRISTENS U.S. FORTRESS BOMBER. Feb. 16th, 1944. As an appreciation of £800,000 raised during Bermondsey's Wings for Victory Week., the people of Bermondsey christened a U.S. Fortress bomber "

42-37792

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Eleanor Maureen : Bermondsey
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron 34th Bomb Group 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron

42-97124

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Joker
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 545th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Encino, New Mexico 11 November 1921
El Paso, Texas 16 February 1942 3664 Bishop

Enlisted

Lubbock, TX 21 March 1942

Other

POW

Moosberg, Germany 25 March 1944 Stalag 7A (dates are approximate)

Died

El Paso, Texas 28 December 1993

Buried

Fort Bliss National Cemetery 31 December 1993 Fort Bliss National Cemetery El Paso, El Paso County, Texas, USA Plot Section D, Site 2749

Other

Shot Down/Captured

Wavrans-sur-Ternoise, France 19 March 1944 On 19March1944 (at about 4pm- at 21,000' ) his plane (Lovell's Hovel) was hit by Flak (near the radio room) after bombs were away; the plane began burning and filled with smoke. Thanks to the skilled flying of the Pilot, James Lovell and Co-Pilot, Walter Brookings, two chutes were able to emerge (Kardos & Oldham), with one on fire (Oldham - who was severely burned); 20 seconds later, the plane exploded. Two crew members where blown out of the plane. Lewis & Bachicha, thankfully had their chutes on. ALL 4 crew were later captured by the Germans and were POW's

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/308411/martin-paul-bachicha

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

corrected date

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

https://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=155
http://www.ww2enlistment.org/index.php?page=directory&rec=1509246
https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2238/images/44040_09_0…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/308411/martin-paul-bachicha

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3242 / MACR 3242, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=… / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database