Donald Currie
Military | Colonel | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 38 x combat missions. ETD
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Joseph Roscoe Amber
Military
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Page 158 of the 401st Bomb Group unit history. Many of the 8th Air Force Groups produced an unofficial unit history in the months after the war ended in Europe but before they were redeployed out of the ETO (European Theater of Operations). Resembling a college yearbook, unit histories were an unofficial – and often tongue-in-cheek – record of the unit’s time based in the UK. They include photo montages showing different aspects of base life. Often the servicemen in the photos are unnamed. The American Air Museum hopes that by adding unit histories to the website as individual pages, the men in the photos will be identified and associated to their person entries. Many included lists of personnel and a mailing address, providing a means for servicemen to keep in contact with each other after the war. These lists are now incredibly useful records of where US airmen in England in 1945 called their home.
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Sgt Joe R Amber:- DFC award card. 401BG
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Sgt Joe R Amber:- Air medal award card. 401BG.
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Donald A Currie Jr and crew, B-17 42-31034 'Bonny Donnie', Donald A Currie kneels centre. Other crew members: 1Lt Clayton Alan Johnston (CP), 1Lt Morey B Jeffery (N),1Lt Roy Richard Winn (B), T/Sgt Cosmo Anthony DiPierro Sr (RO), T/Sgt Earl C. Gibson (TT), S/Sgt's Cecil L. Graf (BTG), Walter L Surprise (TG), Marvel T. Severson (WG), Joe R Amber (WG).
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Don Currie crew. 38 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Service
People
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Donald McCree
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot / Commanding Officer | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. B-17 pilot, flew 42 missions and became commander of 612th Bomb Squadron. Awards: SS, DFC (OLC), AM (7OLC), Croix de Guerre, WWII Victory, EAME.
Units served with
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401st Bomb Group
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following... -
612th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-102957 Fearless Fosdick
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/4/44; Kearney 3/5/44; Grenier 21/5/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG Molesworth 23/4/44; transferred 612BS/401BG [SC-F] Deenethorpe 1/6/44; detailed Merseberg 11/9/44 with Morris Mohler, rest unknown bailed our safely (9 Returned to Duty);... -
42-107039 Ice Cold Katy
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 3/2/44; Grenier 27/2/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-M] Deenethorpe 23/3/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28/11/45... -
42-31034 'Bonnie Donnie'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 8/9/43; to Gt Falls with Phil Sweet but force landed Pueblo, CO 10/9/43; Scott 20/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-G] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; Missing in Action Cologne 28/5/44 with George West, Waist gunner: Hugh Russell, Tail gunner: Mike... -
42-31068 "Fool's Luck"
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 14/9/43; Scott 22/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-D] Deenethorpe 8/11/43; on return from Merignac 31/12/43 with Capt Jere Maupin, Co-pilot: Earl Owens, Navigator: Capt Walt Eabererr, Bombardier: Capt Ron WEoodhouse, Flight engineer... -
42-31077 Pakawalup II
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/9/43; Scott 21/10/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-A] Deenethorpe 26/10/43; transferred 615BS [IY-A]; Missing in Action Munster 30/9/44 with Tom Davis, Co-pilot: Alan Newcomb, Navigator: Herb Corwin, Bombardier: Henry Kaczorowski,... -
42-31081 Son of a Blitz
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17G ser. 42-31081, 'Son of A Blitz': ... -
42-31091 MAGGIE
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/9/43; Gt Falls 2/10/43; Scott 21/10/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-O] Deenethorpe 4/11/43; Missing in Action Merseburg 11/9/44 with Milton Wingard, Co-pilot: Bob Abresch, Navigator: Bob Sullivan, Tail gunner: Ed Chiariello (4... -
42-31511 'Fools Luck III'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 16/11/43; Kearney 3/12/43; Presque Is 9/12/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-D] Deenethorpe 1/1/44; Missing in Action Evere A/fd 10/4/44 with Gaston Fox, Co-pilot: Francis Hoad, Navigator: Darrel Wilson, Bombardier: Leon Mendelson, Ball... -
42-31891 The Shape
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-P] Deenethorpe 15/2/44; Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 1/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 8/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)... -
42-38026 Sad Sack, My Day
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 18/11/43; Kearney 5/12/43; Presque Is 22/12/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-N] Deenethorpe 2/2/44; Missing in Action Kiel 19/5/44 with Marion Hagen, Co-pilot: John Dunn, Navigator: Wilbur Cordell, Bombardier: Fred Graham, Flight...
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 145
1 December 1943
This mission was directed at the industrial areas of Leverkusen and Solingen, Germany. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 221 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (27); 92BG (18); 303BG (17);... -
VIII Bomber Command 149
5 December 1943
This mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 216 B-17 from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (10); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (21); 351BG (35); 379BG (21); 381BG (30); 384BG (20); and 301BG (20)... -
VIII Bomber Command 151
11 December 1943
This mission is a massive raid of 583 heavy bombers on the industrial areas of Emden, Germany. The first element is a combined force of 242 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG (24); 92BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (20); 351BG (40)... -
VIII Bomber Command 159
20 December 1943
The port area of Bremen is the target for 546 heavy bombers. The total includes 12 PFF-equipped B-17s from 482BG. All 12 of these are effective on the target and 11 are damaged. The bomber gunners of this element claim 1-1-0 (this total included with... -
VIII Bomber Command 161
22 December 1943
This mission is composed of two forces directed at two separate targets, the communication centers at Osnabruck and Munster, Germany. The force attacking at Osnabruck is composed of two elements. The first element is composed of 227 B-17s (2 are PFF... -
VIII Bomber Command 164
24 December 1943
This mission is directed at V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. The attacks are made between 1330-1510hrs. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a force of 277 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division that included: 91BG ... -
VIII Bomber Command 171
31 December 1943
This mission is the last heavy bomber operation of 1943. 1943 had been a very "tough" year for the 8th Air Force in the European Theater of Operations (ETO). 23365 B-17s had been despatched on missions and 881 had Failed to Return (FTR) for a loss... -
8th Air Force 182
11 January 1944
Three aviation industry targets in Germany are bombed. The bomber force consists of 291 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Division in two elements, one element of 177 B-17s is despatched to Oschersleben, Germany as the primary target, the other 1BD... -
8th Air Force 187
21 January 1944
This mission is directed at 36 V-Weapon sites (34 in the Pas-de-Calaise area and 2 in the Chrebourg area of France) 24 of these are bombed successfully. All three Bomb Divisions participate in the attacks and the bomber gunners claimed 5-1-2 of... -
8th Air Force 198
29 January 1944
The primary target for this mission was the railroad marshalling yards and industrial areas of Frankfurt, Germany. A combined force of 863 heavy bombers were despatched in three elements to make the attack. The combined bomber gunner claims on enemy...
Associated Place
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Deenethorpe
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Lovilia, IA | 30 May 1921 |
| Enlisted | 7 November 1942 | |
| Based | Deenethorpe | December 1943 – December 1944 |
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Assigned to 612BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF |
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| Discharged USAAF | 11 October 1945 | |
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Honourable discharge. |
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| Died | Carlsbad, NM | 1 October 1987 |
| Buried | Carlsbad Cemetery Carlsbad, Eddy County, NM | 4 October 1987 |
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Carlsbad Cemetery |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 21 November 2021 21:25:38 | Al_Skiff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 November 2021 21:24:07 | Al_Skiff | Changes to firstname and nickname |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 November 2021 01:28:18 | acbernstein1 | Changes to aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 November 2021 17:37:53 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, service number, role, biography, awards, events, unit associations, place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/656951758? |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:15:21 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.401bg.org/Main/History/Members/Details.aspx?ID=632 |
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