John B Vance

Military

Shot down 18 April 1944 in B-17 #42-37902 'Sure Thing', being the crews Flight Engineer, and thus, stationed at the top turret. He would become a POW along with the rest of his crew, being freed in May of 1945. He would remain in the military for 20 years, transitioning to the Air Force upon its creation. His service would include the Korean War, as well as participating in both the A and H bomb testing.



*Exact list of awards is unknown, so an uncomplete list of presumed awards received are listed without oak leaf clusters. For his World War II service he was awarded the Air Medal with 2 oak leaf clusters.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.

390th Bomb Group

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

People

Robert Louis Adler

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-694638
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Adolph Bernard Chilek

  • 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

Robert Edwin Frith

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37544827
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Victor Jay Guthrie

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 568th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-741509
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Melvin John Hames

  • 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

42-37902

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

Missions

301

  • Date: 13 April 1944

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA 20 July 1921

Other

Shot down

Barnewitz, Germany 18 April 1944 Shot down over a mission to Oranienburg, Germany, while on B-17 42-37902, while serving as the Flight Engineer. and manning the top turret as a result. Would later become a POW.

Other

Prisoner of War

Stalag XVII-B, Austria 18 April 1944 Spent his time as a POW at Stalag 17-B.

Other

Retired

31 October 1962 Retired from the Air Force as a Master Sergeant.

Died

Grants, New Mexico, USA 9 January 2004

Buried

Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 14 January 2004

Enlisted

McChord Field, Washington, USA

Based

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

Revisions

Date
ContributorCastleBren
Changes
Sources

390th Bomb Group records

findagrave.com for headstone (which lists part of his service history).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

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