Vincent J Reese
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
The names :
* Sgt Vincent Reese, aged 22 [ Right Waist Gunner on #42-39795 - 303BG/359BS - lost 30 December 1943 ]
* Sgt Orian Owens, aged 24,
* Sgt Charles Nichols, aged 23 and
* Sgt John Gemborski, aged 21
[ all 3 on board #42-30782 of 306BG/368BS, lost 11 January 1944 ]
* Lt George Eike, aged 23,
* 2nd Lt Robert Benninger, aged 21 and
* Sgt John Pindroch, aged 19
[ all three on board #42-31499 - 306BG/369BS - lost 2 February 1944 ]
* 2nd Lt William Huish, aged 24 [ Navigator on #42-29656 - 91BG/322BS lost on 20 February 1944 ]
The two Belgians :
* Henri Fontaine, aged 25 [ deported; disappeared in Koblenz, Germany ]
* Joseph Simon, aged 21 [ died in the Dachau concentration camp, Germany ]
Corrected a typo in the "Caption" - "executed" was misspelled.
Object Number - UPL 19150 - Plaque in Saint-Rémy near Chimay, Belgium to the memory of the eight US airmen who were savagely executed by Germans soldiers on 22 April 1944 and...
Shot down 30 December 1943 in B-17 #42-39795 "Woman's Home Companion".
From 303rd mission report:
'Sergeant Vincent J Reese evaded capture, made contact with the underground and fought with them, destroying German installations. He and twenty-two other underground members were captured and executed on 22 April 1944 in woods near Chimay, Belgium where they were discovered hiding in a shack. He was one of the many unrecognized real heroes of the 8th Air Force. Sgt. Reese is buried in Netherlands American Cemetery at Martgraten, Netherlands.'
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
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Woman's Home Companion
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 30 December 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Shot down and evaded |
Belgium | 30 December 1943 - 22 April 1944 | |
|
Other Captured & executed |
Chimay, Belgium | 22 April 1944 | |
|
Born |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA | ||
|
Buried |
Netherlands American Cemetery |
Revisions
Added a Buried event per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 55903845.
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55903845/vincent-j-reese
Added connections to the 8th AF and to 8th AF mission #169 for 30 Dec1943.
Added a "-" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Added a comment to the "Died" event.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1674 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database