Harry Craddock
Military | 447th Bomb Group
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John J Ruppert
Military
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John J. Ruppert, 447th Bomb Group
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John J. Ruppert and his crew at 447th BG, Rattlesden, England. John, Aerial Gunner, is back row, center. Other Crew Members are Lonnie Roberts (p) William Overstreet (cp) Thomas Jones (n) Wendell Watson (b) Frank Waltman (ttg) Thomas Jackson (r) George La Follette (btg) Harry Craddock (wg).
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John Ruppert at his Tail Gun Position
John had entered the Aviation Cadet programme in July 1943 but due to a surplus of pilots opted to train as a gunner. He joined the group at Rattlesden where he flew on 13 missions; on the last they made a forced landing on an old Luftwaffe airfield in France. The crew were sent to Paris until they could be collected -- meantime they had been classed as 'Missing in Action'.
Air Medal; one cluster
Service
People
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Thomas Jackson
Military | 447th Bomb Group
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Thomas Jones
Military | Second Lieutenant | 447th Bomb Group
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George LaFollette
Military | 447th Bomb Group
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William Overstreet
Military | First Lieutenant | 447th Bomb Group
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Lonnie Roberts
Military | 447th Bomb Group
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Frank Waltman
Military | Bottome turret gunner | 447th Bomb Group
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Wendell Watson
Military | Second Lieutenant | 447th Bomb Group
Units served with
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447th Bomb Group
Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
Aircraft
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42-107029 Tail Wind
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 1/2/44; Kearney 7/2/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG Rattlesden 3/3/44; 708BG; Missing in Action Merseburg 2/11/44 with Bob Johnson, Ken Nickerson, Rubin Poss, Cecil McGonigle, E. V. Lewelling, Tom Ashe, George Christoff, Bob Gilmore (8... -
43-37774
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/5/44; Kearney 1/6/44; Grenier 16/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 20/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)... -
43-37797 American Beauty
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 23/5/44; Hunter 1/6/44; Grenier 14/6/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 16/6/44; crashed on base 10/1/45 with Chas Summers, sal 8/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 7/7/45; Reconstruction... -
43-38950 Bloody Bucket and Ol' Boomerang
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Topeka 14/10/44; Lincoln 20/10/44; Grenier 7/11/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 10/11/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 5/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Lived in | Iowa City, IA, USA |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 02 May 2022 10:08:20 | Helen | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Iowans of the Mighty Eighth |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 April 2021 12:58:40 | RayWells | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Added connections to crew |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 April 2021 12:53:39 | RayWells | Changes to aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
added connections |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 April 2018 14:13:45 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to role |
| Sources | ||
"Iowans of the Mighty Eighth", Chapter 22 "Biographies", by Charles D Taylor. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:16:18 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit History Roster, Enlisted Men, as of 01 August 1945 |
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