Wilbur F Hummel

Military

1-May-1942 Assigned as an aerial gunner with the 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho and temporarily placed with B-17F #41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK" and arrived on that aircraft at Molesworth on 25-Oct-42.



Shot down 23 January 1943 in B-17F #41-24584 'Susfu' while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Aircraft was attacked by FW 190s and went down under control between Lorient and Brest. Crashed at Abbey Pleyben near Edern, France. He was able to parachute to safety and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW)



Participated in 8 Operations (3 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

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

41-24584

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Susfu
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Lieutenant Fort W. Lipe of the 303rd Bomb Group, signals 'V for Victory' from the cockpit of his B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-T, serial number 41-24610 ) nicknamed "Joe Btfsplk II". Passed for publication 16 Dec 1942. Printed caption on reverse: 'Lt. Fort W. Lipe, of the Air Corps, of Irving, Illinois was with the Owens-Illinois Glass Co. He is 23 and is engaged to Miss Edith Kesinger, of 314 North-St., Normal, Illinois. His greeting is silent, optimistic and emphatic. As O.P.S. he sends it in the V sign.' On

41-24610

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Joe Btfsplk II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Captain Albert W. Dieffenback, a bombardier of the 303rd Bomb Group, admires Bugs Bunny painted onto the nose of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed as censored 9 May 1943. Printed caption on reverse: '14. Captain Albert W. Dieffenbach, of Garrett Park, Md., and the bomber in which he flies as group bombardier.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamp].

41-24619

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: S For Sugar
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

42-2996

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Boise, ID, USA 1 May 1942 Assigned as a Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 25 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BS.

Other

Mission #1 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24610, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24610 "Joe BTFSPLK", 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK

Other

Mission #2 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 42-2996, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Left Waist Gunner of B-17F 42-2996, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK

Other

Mission #3 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24584, "Susfu" 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24584, "Susfu" 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards ate Roeun, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK

Other

Mission #6 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Left Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24619, "S-for-Sugar" 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24584 "Susfu, 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Krems an der Donau, Austria 23 January 1943 - 23 May 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austira. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 23-May-45.

Other

Mission #8 SGT Wilbur F. Hummel, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS - POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24584, "Susfu" 303BG/427BG on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was shot down by fighters but he was able to bale out, but was captured as a Prisoner of War.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 9-Jan-2016. Corrected initial assigment to location and Assigned to Aircraft location per 303BG records, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 7-Jan-2016. Added initial assignment infor to Summary Biography and made connections to aircraft and all mission participations per Mission Reports on 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian. http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Jan-2015. Added SN per MACR 15571; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data: Edited Biography and added cre position per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 66, MACR 15571