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Military
Lt Jockerst and crew of the 360th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group based in England, pose in front of Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Shangrila Lil'. 12 August 1943. Rear L-R: T/Sgt Alphonse B Serwa, 2Lt Robert N DeFeis, Capt Willard Bergeron, 1Lt Leonard E Jokerst. Front L-R: T/Sgt LeRoy Cline, S/Sgt George W Wilson, S/Sgt Vernon R Appleton, S/Sgt Norman A Hemmings, S/Sgt William H Stephen.
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 16 x Combat missions. B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission. 23-Oct-43. Killed in Service (KIS)
Awards: PH.
Military | Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. B-17 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission. 23-Oct-43. Killed in Service (KIS)
Awards: PH.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission in B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia'. 23-Oct-43. Died non Battle (DNB)
Awards: AM.
Military | Sergeant | Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 23-Oct-43. B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission. Died non Battle (DNB)
Awards: PH.
Military | Private | Passenger | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. KNO October 23, 1943. B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission.
Military | Corporal | Radio Operator | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Crashed shortly after take-off on a local night training mission in B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' 23-Oct-43, Killed non Operational (KNO)
Awards: PH.
Military | Sergeant | Aerial Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
KNO October 23, 1943. B-17F #42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Engineer | 303rd Bomb Group
Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 16 x combat missions. B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after take-off on a local night training mission 23-Oct-43. Died non Battle (DNB)
Awards: PH.
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/1/43; Salina 12/1/43; Homestead 4/2/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-G] Bassingbourn 25/2/43; Missing in Action 8m Bremen 17/4/43 with Nick Stoffel (+ 92BG crew), Co-pilot: Capt Bob Foster, Navigator: John Segrest, Flight engineer/top...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/3/43; Casper 29/3/43; Smoky Hill 14/4/43; Walla Walla 5/7/43; Tinker 21/5/43; Dow Fd 3/6/43; Assigned 423BS/306BG [RD-J] Thurleigh 17/6/43; transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-I] Molesworth 25/9/43; crashed on take off at Keyston, Hunts.,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/3/43; Casper 28/3/43; Tinker 10/4/43; Memphis 16/4/43; Assigned 418BS/100BG [LD- ] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43 JAYBIRD; transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-L] Molesworth 13/7/43; Missing in Action Bernburg 22/2/44 with George Underwood, Co...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42; Morrison 6/2/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Molesworth 6/3/43; crash landed Alresford, Hants., UK, 26/9/43 with Bob Cogswell [injured in crash], Co-pilot: Dallas Kendall, Navigator: Ed Cobb, Bombardier: Frank Kulesa, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 15/12/42; Salina 10/1/43; Brookley 1/2/43; Homestead 14/2/43; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-W] Molesworth 6/3/43; sustained flak damage over Schweinfurt 14/10/43 with Ambrose Grant, Co-pilot: Franklin Ball, Navigator: Jim Berger,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/12/42; Salina 10/1/43; Homestead 17/2/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] Molesworth 7/3/43 RED ASS; transferred 427BS; 5m* Missing in Action Bremen 29/11/43 with Finis Brumbeloe, Co-pilot: Donnell Marsh, Navigator: Jim Groves, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 23/3/43; Kearney 15/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Dow Fd 27/5/43; Assigned 418BS/100BG 30/5/43 Thorpe Abbotts; transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-C] Molesworth 13/7/43; 28m 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 5/4/44; Returned to the USA Tinker 6/6/44;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Long Beach 28/3/43; Memphis 9/4/43; Romulus 14/4/43; Assigned 379BG Kimbolton 24/4/43; crash landed 2 SAD Lt Staughton 1st mission; repaired & transferred 360BS/303BG [PU-M] Molesworth 2/10/43; severe battle damaged Bremen 29/11/43 with P....
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Crystal City, Jefferson County, MO | 28 May 1921 |
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Son of Joseph F and Josephine Regina [Huber] Jokerst. |
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| Enlisted | St Louis, MO, USA | 25 March 1942 |
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St Louis, Missouri |
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| Based | Molesworth | 1943 – 23 October 1943 |
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Assigned to 360BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Died | Keyston, Huntingdon PE28 0RF, UK | 23 October 1943 |
|
B-17F 42-29930 'Miss Patricia' crashed shortly after takeoff on a local night training mission. 23-Oct-43. Killed in Service (KIS) |
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| Buried | 24 October 1943 | |
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Interred |
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| Buried | Sacred Heart Cemetery, Crystal City, MO | August 1948 |
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Re-Interred |
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