Jack Belk

Military
media-32272.jpeg UPL 32272 "Lead crew on bombing mission to Meaulte, France, pose beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 303rd Bomb Group, England. 13 May 1943."

Rear L-R: Maj Glenn E Hagenbuch, Capt Albert W Dieffenbach, Capt Walter M Soha, Capt Samuel H Anderson, Capt Edgar E Snyder Jr.

Front L-R: S/Sgt Waldo B Brandt, T/Sgt Edward J Doughty, S/Sgt Jack Belk, T/Sgt Charles E Zipfel, S/Sgt Edward Z Harmon, S/Sgt George W Henderson.

Object Number - UPL 32272 - "Lead crew on bombing mission to Meaulte, France, pose beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 303rd Bomb Group, England. 13 May 1943." Rear L-R:...

1-May-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner to 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho, with the rank of Sergeant. 303BG personnel record does not indicate that he was assigned to any particular crew at that time and does not indicate when he arrived at Molesworth, UK. He may have been assigned to some type of ground duty and only flew as a substitute for other gunners on various B-17s of 427BS.



Mission Participation (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) 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.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Baseball player Captain Billie Southworth, a pilot of the 303rd Bomb Group plays ball beneath the wings of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright Planet News.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '274987.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'Ball player in US Army Air Force in Britain. Among well known Americans in the atheletic world serving with the US army Air Force in Britain is Captain Billie Southworth, pilot of a Fortress bomber. He is the son of
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-424792
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

The tail of a B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 41-24569) nicknamed "Memphis Tot" of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, shot down near Zwolle. Handwritten caption on reverse: '124569. Memphis Tot. SD. 4/2/43. 427BS. Near Zwolle.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Memphis Tot
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Susfu
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Bad Check
  • 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
  • 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].
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: S For Sugar
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Unit

Boise, ID, USA 1 May 1942 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner to 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.

Other

Mission #1, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24584, 303BG/427BS

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

Other

Mission #2, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24587, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Rommilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24587, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24587, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS

Wilhelmshaven, Germany 27 January 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-2966, 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #8, SGT Jack Belk, w/B-17F 41-24587, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Osnabrück, Germany 4 February 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24587 "Bad Check" 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie.
Temple, TX, USA

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID from FRE 997.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID from FRE 997.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Feb-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 27-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/012.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Feb-2016. Made connections to 41-24610 and 42-2966 and Missions of 27-Jan-43 and 4 Feb-43 per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 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 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 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 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 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 20-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 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 20-Jan-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, 303BG personnel roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 2-Jan-2016. Added Summary Biography; made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 23-Jan-43), Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, 303BG personnel roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roster

Jack Belk: Gallery (3 items)