William Frank Bemus

Military

Assigned to 457BS, 748BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 28-May-44 in B-17 42-97067 'Georgia Peach'. Suffered broken leg on landing, Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 5297. Released Jan-45 in a prisoner exchange.

Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory

Connections

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

Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 457th Bomb Group.

457th Bomb Group

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

People

Rudolph Melvin Stohl

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 457th Bomb Group 748th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19102880 / O-749350
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-97067

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Georgia Peach, Black Puff Polly
  • Unit: 457th Bomb Group 94th Bomb Group 748th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

The mission board of the 457th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-299-2-457)(16/5/45)(Op's Board's).'

Glatton

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Connington

Stalag Luft IV

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania

Stalag X-C

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Offlag X-B

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Nueces County, TX, USA 20 August 1924

Enlisted

Houston, TX, USA 23 October 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

78-220 Tychowo, Poland 28 May 1944 - 30 January 1945 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Other

Baled out

Mahndorf, 28307 Bremen, Germany 28 May 1944 Shot down 28-May-44 in B-17 42-97067 'Georgia Peach'. Suffered broken leg on landing, POW. MACR 5297.

Based

Glatton 28 May 1944 Assigned to 457BS, 748BG, 8AF USAAF.

Buried

Corpus Christi, TX, USA Memory Gardens Cemetery Corpus Christi Nueces County Texas

Revisions

Date26 Nov 2017 16:41:44
ContributorAl_Skiff
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28629099
https://www.fold3.com/image/28629099https://www.fold3.com/record/5916418...
https://www.fold3.com/record/84871181-william-f-bemus
Mission 376: Battle Over the Reich, May 28, 1944 By Ivo de Jong
http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=362209
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170985550/william-f-bemus

Date26 Nov 2017 16:31:33
ContributorAl_Skiff
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/28629099
https://www.fold3.com/image/28629099https://www.fold3.com/record/591641…
https://www.fold3.com/record/84871181-william-f-bemus
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170985550/william-f-bemus

Date27 Sep 2014 18:27:59
ContributorAAM
Sources

MACR 5297 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database