On 8 Nov 1942, on first mission, B-17F #41-24570 "Panhandle Doggie" 91BG/323BS suffered severe damage on the mission to bomb the German airfield Abbeville/Drucat but plane returned with all crew and was salvaged. He was serving as Radio Operator on that aircraft. The navigator and bombardier were wounded.
Killed in Action 3 January 1943 in B-17F #42-5084 'Panhandle Doggie II' 91BG/323BS while serving as Radio Operator Aircraft received severe damage from flak over the target of St. Nazaire, France and crashed into the sea near Belle Ile-en-Mer, France. His remains have never been recovered.
Service
Units served with
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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...
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Aircraft
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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24570 "Panhandle Dogie" Assigned 323BS/91BG [OR- ] Bangor 10-Sep-42; Bassingbourn 11-Oct-42; damaged on first mission Abbeville 8-Nov-42 limped back to base, and became a Hangar Queen; Salvaged BD 27-Nov-42 10RTD.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 42-5084 'Panhandle Dogie II" 91BG/323BS [OR- ] Bassingbourn 14-Dec-42. This is the second aicraft so named by the pilot. Delivered Tulsa 16-Sep-42; New Castle 10-Oct-42; Missing in Action St Nazaire 3-Jan-43 hit by intense flak, crashed off L...
Missions
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8 November 1942
Two Primary (P) targets are the objects of this mission: the German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France and the Atclier d'Hellemmes locomotive works at Lille, France. 91BG despatches 15 B-17s to Abbeville and 301BG and 306BG despatch a combined...
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3 January 1943
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are once again the target for this mission. This is proving to be a particularly difficult target to destroy due to its massive, reinforced concrete design. It consists of 14 individual pens connected together in...
Associated Place
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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...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Born |
Michigan |
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Killed in Action (KIA) |
Belle Île, France |
3 January 1943 |
Killed when aircraft was severely damaged by flak over the target of St. Nazaire, France and crashed into the sea near Belle Ile-en-Mer, France.
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Commemorated |
Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Madingley Road, Coton, Cambridgeshire CB23 7PH, UK |
1945 |
Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Cambridge American Cemetery.
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