Rolland Archer Galloway

Military

media-24722.png UPL 24722 Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of the 407th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" after being rescued and brought to an airbase in England. 11 September 1943..."
The legend lists all men as Staff or Technical Sergents, except Pilot Captain Frederick Prasse (standing far right) and has typos in some names. One man is missing from the ten-man crew on board # 42-29965 which had to ditch in the English Channel on return from the 6 September 1943 mission to Stuttgart.
Standing, left to right : Tail Gunner S/Sgt Rolland A. Galloway; Radio Operator T/Sgt Laurence E. Dennis; Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Joseph F. Thornton; Bombardier 2nd Lt Fred Champion; Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt Otto F. Trammer; Pilot Captain Frederick T. Prasse.
Front, from left to right : Engineer/Top Turret Gunner S/Sgt John Geegee; Ball Turret Gunner John W. Disher; Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Charles H. Hartnett. (The missing man from the photo is Navigator 2nd Lt David C. Besbris).

Added media

Object Number - UPL 24722 - Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of the 407th Bomb Squadron, 92nd Bomb Group, beside a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" after being rescued...

After his enlistment in August 1942, Rolland Galloway followed gunnery training. Promoted to Staff Sergent, he was sent overseas and assigned as a Tail Gunner in the 92nd Bomb Group/407th Bomb Squadron in England. He was Tail Gunner on B-17 #42-29965 which went down in the Channel for lack of fuel on return from the Stuttgart mission of 6 September 1943. All ten men on board were rescued by a French boat and returned to their base. Shot down on the 16 November 1943 mission to Knaben, Norway in B-17 #42-29996 'Flagship'. Captured by German troops and interned at Stalag XVIIB near Krems, Austria until liberation in May 1945. Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

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Units served with

407th Bomb Squadron

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

92nd Bomb Group

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

People

David Charles Besbris

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 11998665 /O-674111
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Navigator

Whitney Millard Bray

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 02044435
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Arthur A Carmell

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 11021187 and O-668893
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Fred Champion

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 39169650
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Bombardier / Togglier / Waist Gunner

Laurence Edwin Dennis

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 36048962
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

42-29965

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 94th Bomb Group 333rd Bomb Squadron 407th Bomb Squadron

42-29996

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Flag ship
Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 407th Bomb Squadron

Missions

A flight of B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 303rd Bomb Group fly above the clouds on their way to Norway. B-17F (BN-T, serial number 41-24561) nicknamed "The Duchess", of the 359th Bomb Squadron, is visible in the foreground. Printed caption on reverse: ' 67417 USAF - Flying high above a blanket of fleecy clouds, a formation of 8th Air Force Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" drones steadily on towards the target somewhere in Norway on 16 November 1943. Air Force Photo.'

VIII Bomber Command 131

Date: 16 November 1943

A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Kicking Horse" of the 303rd Bomb Group takes off with a feathered engine. Handwritten caption on reverse: ''Kicking Horse' of 303BG. Received 7/7/1944.' On reverse: Daily Graphic [Stamp, ref. no. M4226L].

VIII Bomber Command 91

Date: 6 September 1943

Places

Alconbury

Site type: Airfield

Podington

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	North Slough, Coos County, Oregon, United States	29 March 1914	the son of Ned and Myrtle Galloway
Enlisted	San Francisco, California, United States	11 August 1942
Other rescued	English Channel	6 September 1943	He was on board of 42-29965, which went down in the Channel for lack of fuel on return from the Stuttgart mission of 6 September 1943. All ten men on board rescued by a French boat and returned to base.
Other captured	near Konsmo, Norway	16 November 1943	Captured near Konsmo after B-17 #42-29996 was shot down on the mission to Knaben, Norway on 16 November 1943.
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	Braunau, Austria	16 November 1943	Interned at Stalag XVIIB in Austria. NARA WWII POW records "returned to Military control 21 July 1945".
Died	Placer County, California	18 August 1949
	San Francisco, California, United States

Revisions

Date2 Dec 2016 08:37:46

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

Modified details in Bio (rescue 6 September 1943)

Date29 Nov 2016 15:41:21

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

MACR 1384
NARA WWII Enlistment records
NARA WWII POW records

Date27 Sep 2014 18:24:26

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1384 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 1384, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 268

Rolland Archer Galloway: Gallery (2 items)

Object number: UPL 24722 - Official USAAF photo. Original caption :"Crew of...

Object number: UPL 24732 - Caption : “Lt. Thornton and crew of the 92nd Bomb...