Walter Gasser
MilitaryPassed for publication 18 Jul 1943.
Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navigator; Lieut. Walter Hargrove of Billings, Montana, the bombardier; T/Sgt. Marion D. Ignaczewski of Camden, New Jersey, engineer.
(Front row) - T/Sgt. Frank Kimotek of Campbell, Ohio, radio; St/Sgt. Walter Gassen of Amherst, Ohio, asst. engineer; St/Sgt. Alfred R. Buinicky of Claremont, N.H.; Si/Sgt.[St/Sgt.?] James H. Comer Jr. of Short Beach, Connecticut, waist gunner; St/Sgt. David Miller of Quick Sand, Kentucky, the tail gunner. SEA July 16th 1943 PN.'
On reverse: Planet News Ltd and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps]. Roger Freeman Collection
Added connections to airmen's records
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. Prisoner of War (POW).
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17063132 / O-735354
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11040361
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11095636
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-734678
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32269483
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Engineer
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 31 August 1943
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Lorain County, OH | 23 February 1909 | Son of Fred and Roe Gasser. |
Enlisted |
Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States | 16 March 1942 | |
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Żagań, Poland | 31 August 1943 | Interned at Stalag luft 3, Sagan/Zagan, Poland. NARA WWII POW records database : "returned to Military control : 5 July 1945". |
Other Baled out POW |
Dieppe, France | 31 August 1943 | Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. POW MACR 470. |
Other Discharged USAAF |
23 September 1945 | Honourable discharge. | |
Died |
Ohio, United States | 27 July 1981 | |
Buried |
Evergreen Cemetery South Amherst, Lorain County, OH | Evergreen Cemetery South Amherst, Lorain County, OH | |
Based |
Molesworth | 31 August 1943 | Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Combined with information from a second entry for Walter Qassor. This entry now includes information from the following sources:
MACR 470 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 470