Jack Spencer Harrison

Military

Shot down 18 April 1944 while piloting B-17 #42-37902 'Sure Thing.' Became a Prisoner of War.





"Rev. Jack Harrison

Sqdn. Leader, 390th Bomb Group, Framlingham, England



Two months after his 20th birthday his B-17, “A Sure Thing”, was shot down by flak. “We parachuted out of our burning bomber. Within three minutes two other forts in my squadron went down in flames”. Jacks life was probably saved by a German sergeant who point his automatic weapon at some civilians who were throwing bricks at him.



He later experienced harsh treatment at the hands of his captors, and barely escaped injury from some stray British bombs. Once again he was saved by circumstances, this time a German girl brought him a hot bowl of barley soup at 2:30 in the morning, in the middle of a blizzard while on a forced march from one camp to another.



Jack was a POW for 13 months before being liberated. He returned home at the war’s end and became a teacher and a civilian flight instructor amassing more than 21,000 total flight hours. One more thing he did was to write the Irving parachute company in England and apply for membership in the Caterpillar Club. He received a card and gold caterpillar pin denoting that he had saved his life using one of the company’s products. He was award the POW Medal and Purple Heart."



- Lance Anderson (Profile linked in the "Revisions" section)

Connections

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

Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-694638
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18187769
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37544827
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-741509
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37418829
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hell's Bells/Sure Stuff
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 13 April 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Madison, Wisconsin, USA 20 April 1942 Enlisted as an Aviation Cadet with the enlisted serial number 16056340

Other

Shot Down

Barnewitz, Germany 18 April 1944 Shot down over a mission to Oranienburg, Germany, while piloting B-17 42-37902.

Other

Prisoner Of War

Stalag III, Sagan, Poland 18 April 1944 Spent 13 months as a POW at Stalag III.

Born

Madison, Wisconsin, USA 14 February 2016

Died

20 February 2016

Buried

Florida National Cemetery 20 February 2016

Based

Framlingham Assigned to 568BS, 390BG, 8AF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorCastleBren
Changes
Sources

390th Bomb Group records

Date
Changes
Sources

Source: Jack provided the Chapter with a brief bio when he joined the organization.
lda 3/22/16

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 4013 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database