Roy C Loken
Military ROLL OF HONOUR6-Oct-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner with 303BG/360BS at Dow Field, Bangor Maine. 303BG records do not indicate that he was assigned to a particualr aircraft at that time and they do not indicate when he arrived at Molesworth, UK.
23-Nov-42 First combat assignment as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F #41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS.
Shot down 16-February 1943 in B-17F #42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS while serving as Left Waist Gunner. The aircraft was attacked by fighters and crashed into the English Channel upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. Killed in Action (KIA)
Participated in 4 Operations (NO aborts) See Biography events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
![Sergeant Peter Soria of the 303rd Bomb Group swings the propellor of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24567) nicknamed "Beats Me!?". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Copyright Current Affairs Ltd.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for Publication 16 Dec 1942. [stamp] and ‘238766.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Naturally most U.S. boys in Britain wish they were back home and Sergt. Peter Soria of the U.S. Air Corps is no exception. He sends a message to that effect to his home at 172 and Hoyne Aven](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378931.jpg.webp?itok=VX83NyM9)
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Beats Me
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Thumper
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Shak Hak
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
![B-24 Liberators of the 44th Bomb Group fly over countryside. Image stamped on reverse: 'Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 16 Feb 1943.' [stamp] Printed caption on reverse: '7-12 Liberator planes of U.S. Bomber Command in flight at the start of an operational patrol from their base "somewhere in England". And February 17th 1943 PN'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379113.jpg.webp?itok=PMFn3r3H)
- Date: 16 February 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Assigned to Unit |
6 October 1942 | Assigned as an Aerial Gunner to 303BG/360BS at Down Field, Bangor, Maine. | |
|
Other Mission #1, SGT Roy C. Loken, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
23 November 1942 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at ST. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #2, SGT Roy C. Loken, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
3 January 1943 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #3, SGT Roy C. Loken, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
13 January 1943 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. | |
|
Other Mission #4, SGT Roy C. Loken, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS - KIA |
16 February 1943 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The aircraft was shot down by fighters and crashed into the sea. He was Killed in Action (KIA). | |
|
Born |
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|
Other Commemorated |
Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery. | ||
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
16 February 1943 | Killed when aircraft was shot down by enemy fighters and crashed into the English Channel. His remains have never been recovered. |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary MOncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary MOncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary MOncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary MOncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunnngham 26-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunnngham 26-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment to BG and Mission participation statement to Summary Biography; Made connections to All aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: William H. Breed crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-breed.html
Lee Cunningham 19-Feb-2015 . Added SN, corrected crew position, added KIA event per MACR 15116; Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; Made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Added crew position and minor edits to Biography based on 303rd Bomb Group website, historian Gary Moncur.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15116 / MACR 15116, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop and Heys pp. 77-78 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database