Thomas C Calhoun

Military
media-30635.png UPL 30635 The B-17F JOHNNY REB JR. or II (41-24443) crew on the October 21, 1942 97th BG Mission #16.
Back row, from left to right :
1st Lt. Milton Marion “Milt” Stenstrom (Pilot), 1st Lt. Robert L. "Rob" Carlberg (Copilot), 1st Lt. Ewart Theodore "Sconnie" Sconiers (Bombardier), 1st Lt. Harold "Harry" "Shorty" Spire (Navigator).
Bottom Row, from left to right:
Sgt. James C. "Jim" Simmons (Tail Gunner), Sgt. Thomas C. "Tom" Calhoun (Waist Gunner), Staff Sgt. William A. "Bill" Adams (Radio Operator), Sgt. William E. "Bill" Schimke (Ball Turret Gunner), Sgt. John M. Hughes (Waist Gunner), Staff Sgt. Roy T. Nalley (Engineer / Top Turret Gunner).
(Photo courtesy of Fredrick Richard "Rick" Flack)

Updated by Fredrick Richard "Rick" Flack on July 29, 2020.

Object Number - UPL 30635 - The B-17F JOHNNY REB JR. or II (41-24443) crew on the October 21, 1942 97th BG Mission #16. Back row, from left to right : 1st Lt. Milton Marion...

Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 #41-24443 while serving as Left Waist Gunner, Prisoner of War (POW).

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im

97th Bomb Group

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

People

William A Adams

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14030942
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Robert Leroy Carlberg

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-442752
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

John M Hughes

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12036569
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Roy Thomas Nalley

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15067557
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

William Ellsworth Schimke

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16061443
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

41-24443

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Johnny Reb II, Johnny Reb Jr
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9089) nicknamed "Johnny Reb" of the 92nd Bomb Group, formerly of the 97th Bomb Group takes off. Image stamped on reverse: 'New York Times Photo.' [stamp], 'Air (Boeing) FLY.' [annotation] and '219847.'[Censor no.] A printed caption was previously attached the the reverse however this has been lost. Handwritten caption on reverse: '4/9/42, marsh ground. Johnny Reb.'

41-9089

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Johnny Reb
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Florida, United States 9 July 1917

Enlisted

Ft McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, United States 12 February 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Quimper, France 21 October 1942 after the ditching of B-17F 41-24443 off the coast of Brittany, France and being rescued by a French fishing boat which brought him and 8 other crew members to shore

Other

Re-enlisted

Keesler Field, Biloxi, Mississippi, United States 6 November 1945 as a S/Sgt in the Air Corps

Lived in

Douglas, Coffee County, Georgia, United States with his wife Stellamae Calhoun

Lived in

Bibb County, Georgia, United States at the time of his enlistment

Died

Buried

Woodlawn Cemetery, Perry, Taylor County, Florida

Revisions

Date20 Mar 2023 20:44:02
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Capitalized the words "Waist Gunner" in the "Role/job" field.

 

Date23 Apr 2020 00:54:36
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to biography
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date30 Nov 2017 11:03:08
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to person associations
Sources

Connected with BTG William Schimke

Date30 Nov 2017 11:00:44
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to role, biography and events
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistment Records
NARA WWII POW Records
US Census 1940
SSDI (Social Security Death Index)

Date22 Dec 2014 14:50:22
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to service number
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistment records : Serial Number 34199059 and not 34299059.

Date22 Nov 2014 19:53:21
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Nov-2014. Corrected typo in POW event.

Date22 Nov 2014 19:52:16
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to awards and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Nov-2014. Added POW event. National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database.

Date28 Oct 2014 19:53:32
ContributorLee8thbuff
ChangesChanges to service number, biography, events, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Lee Cunningham 28-Oct-2014. "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW Database.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:25:50
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol 1, pp 38-39 by Bishop and Hey

Thomas C Calhoun: Gallery (1 items)