Billie L Staner
Military ROLL OF HONOUR17-Feb-42 Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F], "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Thumper"
On 13-Jan-43 on B-17F #41-24579 'Thumper' while serving as Right Waist Gunner the aircraft was was severely damaged a mission to Lorient, France but returned to southwest England with only one engine operating. Pilot Castle ordered a bail out. Unfortunately Sergeant Staner's parachute failed to open and he was killed. Pilots Castle and Fitzsimmons landed B-17 41-24579 'Thumper' wheels up near Bristol. KOM
Participated in 5 Operations (1 was aborted) See Biogarphy events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-435855
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 23 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Boise, ID, USA | 17 February 1942 | Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
Other Arrival in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as a Waidt Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS. |
Other Mission #1, SSGT Billie J. Staner, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2, SSGT Billie J. Staner, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. |
Other Mission #3, SSGT Billie J. Staner, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4, SSGT Billie J. Staner, w/B-17F 42-2967, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Killed on Mission (KOM) |
Bristol, City of Bristol, UK | 23 January 1943 | Baled out of battle damaged B-17F 41-24579 near Bristol upon return from mission to Lorient, France. His parachute failed to open and he was killed. |
Other Mission #5, SSGT Billie J. Staner, w/B-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - KOM |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Right Waist Gunner on B-17F 42-2967 "Shak Hak", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lorient, France. The aircraft sustained battle damage but the pilot managed to return the aircraft to England where he ordered the crew to bale out. SSGT Staner exited the aircraft but his parachite failed to open and he was listed as Killed on Mission KOM. |
Buried |
24 January 1943 | The American Battle Monument Commission (ABMC) has no current record that his remains are buried at any American cemetery in Great Britain. It seems probable that his remains were repatriated to the United States, but no location has been determined. | |
Born |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Correcting typos in Mission #5 notes.
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Arrival in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 28-Jan-2016. Added inital assignment, arrival in UK and mission Participation statements to Summary Biography; made connections to All aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, crew page of John A. Castle: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html
Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2015. Added SN per 303rd Bomb Group website personnel roster, historian Gary Moncur; Added RTD event and Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; made connections to Place, Aorcraft and Mission within existing website data.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by BIshop and Hey p. 66