Military
1LT James Anthony Theys Pilot/Co-Pilot 351st BG - 510th BS Completed a 35 mission tour Served as instructor at Keesler AAF during the war as well
Military | Colonel | Pilot / Squadron Commander | 100th Bomb Group
John Gibbons was Pilot of B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returning from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | 351st Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 351st Bomb Group
Flew 35 missions-First Mission to Berlin, 6/21/44 Last mission 10/7/44
DFC/Air Medal with clusters
Group
The 351st Bomb Group flew strategic bombing missions from their base at Polebrook, Northamptonshire from April 1943 to June 1945. The Group's most famous member was Hollywood actor Clark Gable, who flew four/ five missions with them as an observer...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/3/44; Kearney 1/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-C] Polebrook 29/4/44; 65m crash landed base 9/12/44 with Elvin Haskins; Salvaged 2 SAD 10/12/44. EASTER BUNNY.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 2/3/44; Rapid City 6/3/44; Grenier 20/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 510BS/351BG [TU-F] Polebrook 29/4/44; {85m} Returned to the USA Bradley 11/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 19/6/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 9/12/43; Kearney 22/12/43; Prestwick 16/1/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-F] Polebrook 30/1/44; {90m} 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 28/5/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 19/6/44; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/6/44;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 26/10/43; Gr Island 12/11/43; Assigned 366BS/305BG [KY-K] Chelveston 12/12/43; Missing in Action Berlin 22/3/44 with Eldred Whipple, Co-pilot: Oscar Leibowitz, Navigator: John Murphy, Bombardier: Glenn Freeborn, Waist gunner: Dan...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/11/43; Gr Island 4/12/43; Presque Is 15/12/43; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-R] Polebrook 14/1/44; 111m retUS Bradley 13/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/9/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/2/44; Rapid City 5/3/44; Dow Fd 28/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 6/5/44; no ops, transferred 510BS/351BG [TU-K] Polebrook 24/5/44; 103m Returned to the USA Bradley 11/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 28/6/44; Hunter 11/7/44; Grenier 22/7/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-V] Polebrook 14/8/44; Missing in Action {9m} Brux 12/9/44 with Ed Hennegan, Co-pilot: George Avaritt, Navigator: Walt Culbert, Bombardier: Gene Saur, Flight engineer...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 6/8/44; Hunter 15/8/44; Dow Fd 4/9/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-T] Polebrook 25/9/44; {49m} battle damaged Berlin 26/2/45 with ?; crash landed continent; Salvaged 3/3/45.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 25/4/44; Kearney 2/5/44; Grenier 15/5/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-B] Polebrook 30/5/44; 508BS [YB-D]; {85m} Returned to the USA Bradley 11/6/45; Sth Plains 15/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
14 June 1944
Mission #10. Bombed an airfield south of Brussels. Bob Martin flew in place of Hussong.
15 June 1944
18 June 1944
19 June 1944
Bombed an airfield. Nine hour mission. Shortly after retiring we were called again but mission was called off at briefing room.
21 June 1944
Ruhland, Germany - The target, south of Berlin, bombed by 114 fortresses with an escort of 70 Mustangs went off as planned but not before the Germans destroyed 43 B-17's and damaged 26. Landed in Russia.
25 June 1944
From his mission list for the 385th/548th, this is mission #142. The target says "French Supply." He was on Peterson's Crew.
6 July 1944
7 July 1944
12 July 1944
Picked up a few flak holes. Overcast weather all the way. Another long ride. This makes 17 completed Missions.
19 July 1944
Schweinfurt, Germany ball bearing plant was the target. Hit by flak and fell behind formation at 8:45 am above Aachen, Germany and crashed at Haren, Belgium at 10:06 am in the air district.
Military site : airfield
Polebrook was laid down for RAF Bomber Command use in 1940-1941. Built by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd, it had short runways which were lengthened for USAAF heavy bomber use. The RAF used the base for operational trials - including of B-17 Flying...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Lloydell, Pennsylvania | 5 September 1921 |
| 351st BG Combat Tour | Polebrook Airfield, UK | 14 June 1944 – 15 October 1944 |
|
Completed a 35 mission tour |
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| Lived in | Leetsdale, PA | 4 May 1950 |
| Died | Cranberry Twp, Pennsylvania | 18 May 2014 |
| Buried | Sewickley, Pennsylvania | 21 May 2014 |
|
Sewickley Cemetery |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 05 April 2019 21:18:25 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
removed duplicate information |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 April 2019 21:17:08 | 466thHistorian | Changes to service number and role |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 April 2019 21:13:47 | 466thHistorian | Changes to middlename, events, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2238&h=8966701&... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:14:06 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / www.351st.org/ken.harbour/ |
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