Marlyn Rae Bonacker

Military
media-5496.jpeg UPL 5496 Marlyn Bonacker at the 8th Air Force Historical Society reunion in Nashville, Tennessee, October 2014.

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Object Number - UPL 5496 - Marlyn Bonacker at the 8th Air Force Historical Society reunion in Nashville, Tennessee, October 2014.

Marlyn was the sole survivor of a mid-air collision on his first mission on 6 April 1945. He went down over Leisnig after a mission to Leipzig, Germany. He became a Prisoner of War (POW) escapee.



 

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, Lieutenant Kenneth Menzie, Lieutenant Donald Strout and Lieutenant Norman Scott, plan the route they will take during the next mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30380). Image stamped on reverse: 'Reviewed and passed U.S. Army 23 Aug 1943 Press Censor E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]'. Passed for publication 23 August 1943 INTLD 16 General Section Press Censorship Bureau '[stamp], 'Associated Press' [stamp] and '280035.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reve
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment
The insignia of the 384th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Ruth
  • Unit: 384th Bomb Group 544th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Burt, Iowa 14 January 1926

Other

Moved to Woodburn, Oregon

Woodburn, OR, USA 15 January 1944

Based

Grafton Underwood 25 March 1945 Assigned to the 384th Bomb Group, 544th Bomb Squadron on AAF Station 106 Special Orders #65 dated 25 March 1945, Dominic Thomas Martino Crew. One combat mission.

Other

Mid-air collison

Leisnig, Germany 6 April 1945 Crashed into another B-17 and became a POW. Missing Air Crew Report #13851

Other

Retired from USAF

Fort Myers, FL, USA

Enlisted

Woodburn, OR, USA

Other

Basic training

Amarillo, TX, USA

Other

Gunnery school

Kingman Gunnery School

Other

OTU (forming into crews)

Bakersfield, Texas 79735, USA

Other

Moved to Monterey, TN

Monterey, TN 38574, USA

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - "realize" was misspelled.

Date
ContributorJenny
Changes
Sources

MACR 13851 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database - for the B-17 serial number

Date
ContributorJenny
Changes
Sources

Marlyn told his story to me at the 8th Air Force Historical Society's annual reunion in Nashville, Tennessee in October 2014.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self MACR 13851

Marlyn Rae Bonacker: Gallery (2 items)