Wayne O Stevens
Military ROLL OF HONOUR10-Jul-42. Assigned as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me"
Killed in Action (KIA) on 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS while serving as Tail Gunner. The aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above while on a mission to bomb the port area of Lorient, France. The aircraft crashed near Pluvinger, France.
Participated in 7 Operations (2 were aborted) 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)
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Mission #7, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - KIA |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was struck by a bomb from above, crashed and he was Killed in Action (KIA). |
|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 10 July 1942 | Assigned as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
|
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Tail Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24602, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Tail 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 #6, SSGT Wayne O. Stevens, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Pluvigner, France | 23 January 1943 | Killed when aircraft was struck by a bomb droped from above and crashed near Pluvinger, France. |
|
Buried |
Rock Island, IL, USA | The remains of all 7 KIA crew members were recovered from their burial locations and repatriated after the was for Group Burial at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois. Plot D-306B. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 17-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Med connections to ALL Aircraft and ALL missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Combined two entries into a single entry. This record includes information from the following source: MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database.
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Mission within existing website data; Added KIA description Burial description and Biography narrative per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE, SN per MACR 15571.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65