James Lovell
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 384th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak burst and crashed N of St Pol, FR on a mission to Wizernes, FR on 19 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-31926 'Lovell's Hovel'. Killed in Action (KIA).
Martin Paul Bachicha
Military
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1LT Martin Paul Bachicha Bombardier James M. Lovell Crew 384th BG - 545th BS - 8th AF
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James M. Lovell Crew 384th BG - 545th BS - 8th AF Standing Left to Right: J.M. Kondzar, Warren D. Tessmer (BTG), Doyle Blankenship (WG) Kneeling Left to Right: James. M. Lovell (P), Walter Brookings (CP), Joe Lewis (N), Martin Bachicha (B) Kondzar appears to have not gone overseas with the crew.
Shot down by flak burst and crashed N of St Pol, FR on a mission to Wizernes, FR on 19 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-31926 'Lovell's Hovel'. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Service
People
Units served with
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8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ... -
384th Bomb Group
Group
The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by... -
545th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Aircraft
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42-31484 'Mairsy Doats'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 11/11/43; Kearney 10/12/43; Presque Is 14/12/43; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-F] Grafton Underwood 20/1/44; 546BS [BK-F]; battle damaged Gerolstein 27/12/44, crash landed Manston; 9KIA; Salvaged 28/12/44. MAIRSY DOATS. -
42-31926 Lovell's Hovel
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 6/1/44; Kearney 14/1/44; Homestead 27/1/44; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-G] Grafton Underwood 19/2/44; Missing in Action Watten V-site at Wizernes 19/3/44 with Jim Lovell, Co-pilot: Walt Brookings, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Calvin... -
42-37792
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 29/8/43; Assigned 545BS/384BG [JD-B] Grafton Underwood 2/11/43; transferred 836BS/487BG Lavenham 16/7/44; transferred 34BG Mendlesham; retUS Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/9/45; Reconstruction Finance... -
42-97124
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 29/1/44; Kearney 20/2/44; Presque Is 27/2/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 11/3/44; transferred 545BS/384BG [JD-M] Grafton Underwood 12/3/44; Missing in Action Augsburg 13/4/44 with Herb Swenson, Co-pilot: Don Smith, Navigator: Chas White...
Missions
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8th Air Force 178
7 January 1944
The industrial areas of Ludwigshaven, Germany are the primary target for this mission. The formation has three elements. The bomber gunners of the entire force claim 30-6-17 of attacking German aircraft. ... -
8th Air Force 182
11 January 1944
Three aviation industry targets in Germany are bombed. The bomber force consists of 291 B-17s despatched from 1st Bomb Division in two elements, one element of 177 B-17s is despatched to Oschersleben, Germany as the primary target, the other 1BD... -
8th Air Force 200
30 January 1944
This mission has the aviation industry at Brunswick, Germany as the primary target. The mission is composed of a combined force pf 777 heavy bomber aircraft despatched in three elements: 1st Bomb Division; 2nd Bomb Division and 3rd Bomb Division. The... -
8th Air Force 206
3 February 1944
The port area and Naval facilities at Wilhelmshaven, Germany was the primary target for this mission. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Bomb Divisions all participated. ... -
8th Air Force 210
5 February 1944
German airfield in France are the targets for this mission. All three Bomb Divisions despatch aircraft. The combined bomber gunner's claims of all three Bomb Divisions were 5-0-5 (displayed with Chateauroux element of 1BD). Summary as follows: ... -
8th Air Force 212
6 February 1944
German airfields and V-Weapon sites in France are the primary targets of this mission. A combined force total of 642 heavy bombers are depatched from 8th Air Force 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions. The primary targets of 1st Bomb Division were the... -
8th Air Force 226 BIG WEEK - DAY 1
20 February 1944
This mission is the opening salvo of the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive known officially as "Operation Argument" but remembered in 8th Air Force History as "BIG WEEK". The immediate strategic objective of this six-day operation is the degradation of... -
8th Air Force 228 BIG WEEK - DAY 2
21 February 1944
Day 2 of BIG WEEK is another maximum effort by 8th Air Force to bomb 6 airfields in Germany as primary targets: Diepholz, Gütersloh, Lippstadt, Werl, Achmer and Handorf. In addition the industrial areas of Brunswick city are included as a primary... -
8th Air Force 238
28 February 1944
A combined force of 258 B-17s are despatched from 1st and 3rd Air Divisions to bomb V-Weapon sites around the Pas-de-Calaise area of France. Mission Summary follows> ... -
8th Air Force 252
8 March 1944
The VKF ballbearing factory at Berlin/Erkner is the primary target for 623 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. Fighter opposition and anti-aircraft fire are intense. There are so many formation attacking that some divert to other...
Associated Place
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Grafton Underwood
Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Encino, New Mexico | 11 November 1921 |
| Lived in | El Paso, Texas | 16 February 1942 |
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3664 Bishop |
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| Enlisted | Lubbock, TX | 21 March 1942 |
| Shot Down/Captured | Wavrans-sur-Ternoise, France | 19 March 1944 |
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On 19March1944 (at about 4pm- at 21,000' ) his plane (Lovell's Hovel) was hit by Flak (near the radio room) after bombs were away; the plane began burning and filled with smoke. ALL 4 crew were later captured by the Germans and were POW's |
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| POW | Moosberg, Germany | 25 March 1944 – May 1945 |
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Stalag 7A (dates are approximate) |
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| Died | El Paso, Texas | 28 December 1993 |
| Buried | Fort Bliss National Cemetery | 31 December 1993 |
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Fort Bliss National Cemetery |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 04 December 2020 03:34:49 | 466thHistorian | Changes to highest rank and events |
| Sources | ||
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/308411/martin-paul-bachicha |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 December 2020 03:30:56 | 466thHistorian | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
corrected date |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 December 2020 03:30:13 | 466thHistorian | Changes to middlename, service number, events, person associations, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/person.php?PersonKey=155 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:19:44 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3242 / MACR 3242, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces, http://384thbombgroup.com/_content/_pages/PersonnelSearch.php?LastName=b... / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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