Billie L Staner

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

17-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

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • 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

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24579) of the 365th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group prepares for take off. Handwritten caption on reverse: '30/6/43.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Thumper
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Shak Hak
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

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

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Addeda birth event per Find-a-grave MEMORIAL ID 82370863.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to John A. Castle, the pilot of A/C 41-24579.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Feb-2016. Correcting typos in Mission #5 notes.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

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.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

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