Lester Matthew Kramer

Military
A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group stand beneath the wing of their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Sport and General.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 9 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '273722.'[phott bureau no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'THE DEFENSIVE POWER OF FLYING FORTRESSES. The extremely heavy defense of the Flying Fortresses has enabled them to fight their way through to targets like Huls and Kiel in the face of the most intensive fighter opposition aerial warfare has ever seen. The media-379034.jpg FRE 1168 A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group stand beneath the wing of their B-17 Flying Fortress.

Printed caption on reverse: 'THE DEFENSIVE POWER OF FLYING FORTRESSES. The extremely heavy defense of the Flying Fortresses has enabled them to fight their way through to targets like Huls and Kiel in the face of the most intensive fighter opposition aerial warfare has ever seen. The result of these and other encounters has been the destruction of more than 1100 enemy aircraft. Formations of Flying Fortresses have an average of 12 1/2 .50 calibre machine guns per plane (which can be manned simultaneously by the usual crew of ten.) 27048. A crew of a Flying Fortress, Pilot F/L Frank N. Kacksetter of Denver, Colorado. Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Lester R. Kramer of Scranton Pennsilvania , Navigator Lt. Luther S. Pierce of Fairhaven Massachusetts. Bomb. 2nd Lt Stanley R Stedt of Stockholm, Main. Tec. Sergt. William W. Fahrenhold of McKees Rocks, Penn., Tec. Sergt Raymond T. Stymacks of Bronx, N.York. Ball Turret Gunner. Tec. Sergt. Robert L Myllykoski of Painsville, Ohio. Left waist gunner Staff Sergt John H. Jessup Union City, Indianna. Right Waist Gunner Staff Sergt. Louis A. Skinner, Independence, Kansas. Tail Gunner Staff Sergt. Milton B. Edwards, Laurel, Maryland S.& G. G.C'

Image stamped on reverse: 'Sport and General.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 9 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '273722.'[photo bureau no.] Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1168 - A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group stand beneath the wing of their B-17 Flying Fortress. Printed caption on reverse: 'THE DEFENSIVE POWER OF...

Assigned to 423BS, 306BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Hanover in B-17 42-29900 'Unbearable II' 26-Jul-43; Shot down, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 126



He was to spend almost two years in Stalag Luft III.

He was later a USAF retiree. His death in April 2000 was reported in the Oct 2001 edition of 306th Echoes.



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.



Post war: Served in USAF in Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Retiring at the rank of Lt Colonel.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official insignia of the 306th Bomb Group, approved 6 January 1943, and updated 2 October 1951.

306th Bomb Group

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

People

Norman A Armbrust

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: T-000143
  • Highest Rank: Flight Officer
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

Technical Sergeant Robert Myllykoski, a gunner of the 306th Bomb Group hangs from the ball turret of a B-17 Flying Fortress (RD-J, serial number 42-29900) nicknamed "Unbearable II", to talk to fellow airman Staff Sergeant John H. Jessup. Image stamped on reverse: 'Sport and General.' [stamp]. A printed caption was previously attached to the reverse, however this has been removed. Handwritten caption on reverse: '306BG, 273715.'

42-29900

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Unbearable ii
  • Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron

Places

Dulag Luft 12

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12

Stalag Luft III

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Scranton, PA 6 February 1918 Son of Augusta Charlotte Kramer.

Enlisted

Harrisburg, PA 16 May 1941 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Zagan, Poland 26 July 1943 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft III.

Other

Baled out POW

Vicinity Diepholz, Germany 26 July 1943 Failed to Return (FTR) Hanover in B-17 42-29900 'Unbearable II' 26-Jul-43; Shot down, baled out. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 126

Died

Scranton, PA 24 April 2000

Buried

Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Annville, Lebanon County, PA 27 April 2000 Indiantown Gap National Cemetery Annville, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania
Scranton, PA, USA

Based

Thurleigh 26 July 1943 Assigned to 423BS, 306BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/29417264
https://www.fold3.com/record/20172340/social-security-death-index-leste…
https://www.fold3.com/record/707662629/u-s-veterans-gravesites-ca-1775-…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17191964/lester-m-kramer

Date
ContributorHelen
Changes
Sources

306th Echoes Oct 2001

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; MACR 126 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 126 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Lester Matthew Kramer: Gallery (1 items)

A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group stand beneath the wing of their B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Sport and General.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 9 Jul 1943.' [stamp] and '273722.'[phott bureau no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'THE DEFENSIVE POWER OF FLYING FORTRESSES. The extremely heavy defense of the Flying Fortresses has enabled them to fight their way through to targets like Huls and Kiel in the face of the most intensive fighter opposition aerial warfare has ever seen. The

Object number: FRE 1168 - A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group stand...