Edwin Bruton
Military | Second Lieutenant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 21 May 1943 in B-17 42-3053 'Desperate Journey'. Killed in Action (KIA).
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Porter Dudley Clemens
Military
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Porter D. Clemens
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 123
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 33
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 35
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 73
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 74
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 75
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 121
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 122
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Red Cross POW book of Porter D. Clemens, page 31
Assigned to 324BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 31-Dec-43 in B-17 42-29895 'Black Swan'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1975
Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), PH, GC, POW, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Service
People
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Wayne Buck
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 21 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3053 'Desperate Journey'. Killed in Action (KIA). -
Warren Ellis
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29895 'Black Swan', Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Elmer Frederick
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 22 June 1943 in B-17 #4229998. Killed in Action (KIA). Internment location is unknown. MACR 15576 shows two unidentified airmen buried in a local cemetery. Details are unknown. -
Rollin Gater
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29895 "Black Swan". Initially evaded, then made a Prisoner of War (POW). -
Richard Hensley
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Richard Hensley served as a Top Turret Gunner with the 91st Bomb Group. He was shot down on 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29895 'Black Swan' and was Killed in Action (KIA). -
Larry Hull
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29895 'Black Swan', Prisoner of War (POW). POW -
Norbert Koll
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Assigned to 324BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Wilhelmshafen 21-May-43 in B-17 42-3053, 1st mission as pilot in command; enemy aircraft set ship afire, crashed Hogebarg, near Wittmundenhafen. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 4438 Awards: PH. -
Abraham Lieberman
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 31 December 1943 in B-17 #42-29895 'Black Swan'. Prisoner of War (POW). -
Roger McDermott
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | 388th Bomb Group
Part of the Koll/ Buck crew. Flew on ferry flight across the southern route via Burmuda to Africa and then to England.
Units served with
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91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla... -
324th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
Home of the Memphis Belle
Aircraft
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41-24490 Jack The Ripper
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-C] Bangor 31/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; JACK THE RIPPER. ... -
41-24504 Taurus; Sad Sack
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-D] Bangor 30/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; battle damaged Ludwigshafen 22/3/43 with Chas Cliburn, who brought her back to crash landed RAF Lt Horwood, (10 Returned to Duty); 42m Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 15/3/44; en route from... -
41-24505 'Quiturbitchin'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-E] Bangor 30/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; 6m St Nazaire 22/11/42 BD, in hangar for about a year, constantly raided for spares, before being restored to flying condition, and transferred AFSC end of 1943 as trainer; Returned to... -
42-29487 Ritzy Blitz
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 22/12/42; Salina 2/2/43; Duncan 23/2/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-K] Bassingbourn 9/3/43; 48m Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Wayne Hedglin, Co-pilot: Don Jones, Navigator: Carey Goodwin, Waist gunner: Bill Francisco,... -
42-2970 'Connecticut Yankee'
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-E/C] New Castle 13/10/42; Bassingbourn 23/11/42; involved in landing accident at base on 1/8/43 with Dave Gladhart; on return from Stuttgart 38m 6/9/43 with Bill Pegram, Co-pilot: Bill Martin, Navigator: Bob Cosgrove, Bombardier... -
42-29837 Lady Luck
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/2/43; Gore 9/3/43; Duncan 31/3/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-A] Bassingbourn 7/6/43; transferred AFSC 6/4/44 then MTO (Italy & N. Africa); Returned to the USA Tinker 11/6/44; Patterson 23/2/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation ... -
42-29895 The Black Swan
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/43; Scott Fd 28/3/43; Scotts Bluff 7/4/43; Smoky Hill 16/4/43; Presque Is 2/5/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-H] Bassingbourn 23/5/43. Missing in Action (20+m) Bordeaux 31 December 1943 with Stuart B. Mendelsohn (KIA-decapitated),... -
42-29921 Oklahoma Okie
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 13/3/43; Assigned 27BS/2BG New Castle 6/4/43; force landed Meeks Fd, Iceland with John O’Brien 17/4/43; transferred 324BS/91BG [DF-Z] Bassingbourn 23/5/43; Missing in Action 29+m Cognac 23/3/44 with Bayard Dudley, Co-pilot: Glen Neff,... -
42-3031 Nitemare
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 20/1/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-F] Bassingbourn 19/4/43; Missing in Action Hamburg 26/7/43 with Jim Randall, Co-pilot: Vernon Brack, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Johnson, Waist gunner: Dave Ramsey, Waist gunner: Byron... -
42-3111 The Brass Rail, Local Girl
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 16/2/43; Gore Fd 7/3/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-T] Alconbury 5/43; THE BRASS RAIL 6 missions. ...
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 54
4 May 1943
The Ford and General Motors vehicle plants at Antwerp, Belgium are the primary target for this mission. 79-B-17 are despatched 91BG (25); 303BG (27) and 305BG (27). 65 0f the 79 despatched are effective on the target. There is moderate flak and fighter... -
VIII Bomber Command 55
13 May 1943
The large fighter sweeps of the last several weeks have not been successful in drawing any significant numbers of German fighters in opposition. So, if the German will not send his fighters up for a one-on-one confrontation with the American P-47s,... -
VIII Bomber Command 56
14 May 1943
Today's operations will be the most extensive yet mounted by VIII Bomber Command. The operations call for a "maximum effort". Whereas in the past a single target or those close together have been chosen, today's effort is against widley separated... -
VIII Bomber Command 58
17 May 1943
VIII Bomber Command launches another operation against German U-Boat facilities with three elements. The first element is a formation of 100 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (24); 92BG (10); 303BG (21); 305BG (21) and 306BG (24) to attack the German U-Boat... -
VIII Bomber Command 59
19 May 1943
The German naval bases at Kiel and Flensburg, Germany are the two primary targets for this mission. A force of 123 B-17s is despatched from: 91BG (19); 92BG (10); 303BG (27); 305BG (22); 306BG (24) and 351BG (21) to bomb the naval facilities at Kiel,... -
VIII Bomber Command 60
21 May 1943
The German naval and port facilities at Wilhelmshaven and Emden, Germany are the two primary targets for this mission. Once again, there is a two-fold strategic objective: entice the Luftwaffe to commit its fighter forces; and further degrade the naval... -
VIII Bomber Command 61
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is... -
VIII Bomber Command 81
12 August 1943
This mission is separated into two elements. The first element is a combined force of 183 B-17s from 1st Bomb Division: 91BG (22); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20); 351BG (21); 379BG (21); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are dispatched to bomb... -
VIII Bomber Command 85
19 August 1943
The German airfields at Gilze-Rijen, Holland and Woensdrecht, Holland are the targets for this mission. The attacks will be made by two elements. The first element is a combined force of 125 B-17s from: 91BG (8); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (19);... -
VIII Bomber Command 87
27 August 1943
This mission is the first attack by the USAAF on suspected V-Weapon sites. The German development of pilotless winged aircraft was first divulged to the British just shortly after the beginning of World War II in two letters sent to the British embassy...
Associated Place
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Bassingbourn
Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long... -
Stalag XVII-B
Other location
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Dulag Luft 12
Other location
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Born | Portland, Oregon | 23 December 1923 |
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Son of Wade H. and Jessie I. Clemens. |
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| Enlisted | Portland, OR | 17 July 1942 |
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Portland, Oregon |
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| Based | 1943 – 31 December 1943 | |
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Assigned to 324BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | Stalg XVIIb, Krems, Austria | 31 December 1943 – May 1945 |
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Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag XVIIb |
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| Shot down | Banelec, Britany, France | 31 December 1943 |
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Shot down over Brittany, France, in B-17, The "Black Swan" |
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| Died | Klamath Falls, Oregon | 17 August 1989 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 14 June 2022 21:00:47 | Al_Skiff | Changes to biography, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/637950539 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2022 08:08:14 | torinoscj | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
My uncle, Porter D. Clemens |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2022 06:16:12 | torinoscj | Changes to events and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
My uncle, Porter D. Clemens |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 January 2022 05:04:51 | torinoscj | Changes to nickname, awards, person associations, place associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
This is my uncle, Porter D. Clemens |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 November 2020 23:26:56 | jmoore43 | Changes to events and place associations |
| Sources | ||
Added a S/N and a POW event per WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA). |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 October 2018 13:37:26 | ED-BB | Changes to middlename, service number, biography, events, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
MACR 1975 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:21:33 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1975 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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