Roman R Zaorski
MilitaryImage stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 23 Dec 1942.' [stamp] and '239808.' [Censor no.]
Printed caption on reverse: ''Photo shows:- Five members of the Fortress crew who each shot down a F.W.190 before having to bale out, photographed in front of their new 'plane "Eight Ball II". They are ( left to right):- Lieut. Robert L. Yonkman ( from Grand Rapids, Michigan)., Lieut, Joseph Strickland ( from Liberty, Miss)., T.Sgt Roman Zaorski ( from Pittfield, Mass.), S.Sgt William C. Mulgrew ( from Brooklyn, N.Y.)., and S/Sgt W.W.Stephens ( from Spokan?, Washington G, December, 1942. PN-S.'
Press caption for image series: ‘FORTY FOUR FIGHTERS DESTROYED IN US AIR FORCE RAID ON ROMILLY-SUR-SEINE. Pilot and Co-pilot crash-land Fortress after remainder of crew bale out. Thrilling stories are now being revealed of the big raid on the air park at Romilly-sur-Seine, when Fortresses and Liberators fought their way to and from the target through swarms of enemy fighters. Forty Four of the Nazi planes were destroyed in the air for the loss of six bombers, in some of the fiercest air battles of the war. One of the Fortresses - named “Eight ball” piloted by Capt William R Calhoun, of Birmingham, Alabama, with co-pilot Eugene A. Romig - although badly damaged and riddled by flak managed to struggle back to England, where owing to the danger of an immediate crash the pilot ordered the crew to bale out. Eight men - five of whom are credited with each destroying one Focke Wulf during the return- baled out while Capt. Calhoun and Major Romig continued to earth, finally succeeding in making a crash landing. All the men escaped serious injury and will shortly form the crew of “Eight Ball II”. Blanket caption for Romilly-sur-Seine raid.’ Roger Freeman Collection
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
15-Sep-42 Assigned as an Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 21-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth UK aboard "The '8' Ball".
On 20-Dec-42 he baled out of B-17F 41-24581 'The 8 Ball' over England while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner upon return of the aircraft from a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The Pilot and Co-Pilot crash-landed at Bovingdon. Uninjured - RTD. Participated in 30 Operations (6 were aborted) See Biography events UNDER CONSTRUCTION)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 22 November 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 18 November 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 17 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Pittsfield, Massachusetts | 25 August 1915 | Born Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
Other Assigned to Group |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 15 September 1942 | Assigned as an Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball". |
Other Mission #1 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball" on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the Pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #3 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24566, 303BG/359BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24566 "Zombie", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #5 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS - BO/RTD |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24551 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. The aircraft was battle damaged but Pilot MAJ Romig managed to return the aircraft to England. TSGT Zaorski was ordered to bale out over the English countryside. P MAJ Romig and CP CPT Calhoun staryed with the aircraft and made a crashlanding at USAAF Station Bovington. The aircraft was dmaged beyond repair (DBR) and MAJ Romig and CPT Calhoun were not injured and returned to Molesworth the next day. |
Other Mission #6 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechnical failure forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #7 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK |
Other Mission #8 TSGT Roman R. Zaorski, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball II", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
Died |
Pineville, Louisiana | 11 July 2002 | Died Pineville, LA |
Buried |
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Louisiana | 14 July 2002 | Interred Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum Pineville, Rapides Parish, Louisiana |
Revisions
https://www.fold3.com/image/694200916
https://www.fold3.com/record/1619136/roman-r-zaorski-social-security-de…
https://www.fold3.com/record/723738055/zaorski-roman-r-us-veterans-grav…
https://www.fold3.com/record/83362228/roman-r-zaorski-wwii-army-enlistm…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57177923/roman-r-zaorski
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 20-Dec-2015. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf.
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Garu Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Garu Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Garu Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Garu Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1event per 303BG website, Garu Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK even per 303BG webiste, Gary Moncur, HIstorian: Personnel Roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Group event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Personnel Roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added target information to Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations through 20-Dec-42 through my own reasearch of 303BG Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 6-Dec-2014. Added SN per 303rd BG website: www.303rdbg.com historian Gary Moncur; edited biography for clarity; added connections for Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol.1 by Bishop and Hey p. 55