Joseph F Sammon

Military

Shot down by fighters and crashed near Chemnitz-Borna, Germany on 20 July 1944 in B-17 "Destiny's Child" #42-31812. Badly wounded in the lungs, he was hospitalized in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, near Chemnitz before being sent to Stalag Luft 3 in Sagan/Zagan, Poland, via the Interrogation Center Dulag Luft. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7281.

Connections

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Units served with

401st Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

91st Bomb Group

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

People

Winton William Blevins

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 38539322
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

John Robert Butler

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 18043858 at enlistment, then O-769095
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Richard Henry Hamilton

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 31252904
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator/Gunner

Richard David Loomis

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 17120493 at enlistment, then O-717239
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Navigator

Anson Melburn Riley

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 39410240
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Aircraft

The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Destiny's Child." of the 91st Bomb Group.

42-31812

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Nicknames: Destiny's Child
Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron

Missions

B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 351st Bomb Group, including (RQ-P, serial number 42-97193) and (serial number 43-37920) fly through flak bursts during a mission. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Thoison '557' took pic 20/7/44. Star Duster DS-L MIA 6/8/44.'

484

Date: 20 July 1944

Places

Bassingbourn

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Date	Description
Born	24 March 1923	New York State
Enlisted	23 October 1942	New York City, New York
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	20 July 1944	captured after bailing out of B-17#42-31812, near Chemnitz, Germany. After treatment of badly wounded lungs, he was interned at Stalag Luft 3 Sagan/Zagan, Poland. NARA WWII POW records : “Returned to Military Control '6 March 1946'.”
Died	12 July 1994
		Brooklyn, New York

Revisions

Date12 Mar 2020 14:33:57

ContributorED-BB

Changes

Sources

Middle name initial is F not P...
NARA WWII Enlistment Records
NARA WWII POW Records
MACR 7281
NARA Captured German Records :
German KU 2526 report at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/147890293
VETERANS BIRLS Death File

Date10 Mar 2020 04:12:01

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

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

Date27 Sep 2014 18:17:30

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 7281 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database