Keith Bartlett
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Mar-42 Assigned to 303BG/360BS in B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soldier" as 2LT and Co-Pilot. Gowen Field (Boise), Idaho.
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Military
28-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F #41-24565 [BN-P] "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids"
31-Mar-43 While serving as Navigator of B-17F #41-24599 B-17 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS The aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17F #42-29537 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The planes crashed at Mears Ashby and 303rd reports a memorial to the two crews is there.
Participated in 17 Operations (4 were Aborted) See Biography events.
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
12-Mar-42 Assigned to 303BG/360BS in B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soldier" as 2LT and Co-Pilot. Gowen Field (Boise), Idaho.
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Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24559 'Ooold Soljer' was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-C] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-P] Bangor 9/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42; force landed RAF Chipping Warden 23/1/43 with Ross Bates, 10 RTD; Missing in Action 28m Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 with Ambrose Grant, Co-pilot: Frank Hall, Navigator: Jim Berger, Bombardier:...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Assigned to the 359BS/303BG [BN-R] Bangor 22-Sep-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42; First 8th Air Force aircraft to complete 50, then 75 missions- 27-Mar-44; with M/Sgt Buford Pafford as crew chief; 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 5-Jun-44; Reconstruction Finance...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24609 'Holy Mackerel' assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-Q] Bangor 3-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42. On 23-Nov-43 the aircraft flown by Maj. George L. Robinson was the lead aircraft of the 303BG formation in the attack on the U-Boat Pens at St. Nazaire,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 23/10/42; Wendover 5/12/42; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-P] Molesworth 29/1/43; Missing in Action Kiel 14/5/43 with Capt Ross Bales, Co-pilot: Walt Dooley, Navigator: Dan McColl, Bombardier: Rhude Mathis, Flight engineer/top turret gunner:...
17 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 49 B-17s despatched from 91BG (20), 303BG (16) and 306BG (13). Another element of 14 B-24s despatched from 93BG also joins the bombing force on St. Nazaire. The...
18 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...
20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
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30 December 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the target for this mission. A combined force of 77 B-17s are despatched by 91BG (19); 303BG (16); 305BG (13) and 306BG (18). Only 40 are effective on the target. All but 1 B-17 from the 18 despatched by 306BG is...
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...
13 January 1943
The primary target for this mission is the Atclier d'Hellemmes locomotive works, associated steel works and the railroad marshalling yards at Lille, France. The attacking force is composed of 72 B-17s from: 91BG (13); 303BG (19); 305BG (23) and 306BG ...
23 January 1943
The port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the primary target for this mission. 305th Bombardment Group is selected as the lead group, but condensation on the bombsight of the lead aircraft in the Group prevents the 305BG from bombing Lorient...
4 February 1943
The marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany are again designated as the primary target for this mission follwing the abortive attempt of 2-Feb-43. However, weather and extreme cold frustrate this operation also. The main attacking force consists of 65 B-17s...
14 February 1943
The marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany are once again slated at the primary target for this mission. A force of 74 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (17); 305BG (17); 306BG (20), but weather once again forces the mission to be recalled before...
26 February 1943
After 10 days of weather related delays of the bomber offensive, a mission is organised with the port facilities of Emden, Germany as the primary target. However, Emden is obscured by cloud cover and all formations divert to attack the port facilities...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
Cemetery
Event | Location | Date |
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Born | Buffalo, Erie County, NY | 6 March 1917 |
Brother of Ralph Browning. |
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Assigned to Aircraft | Boise, ID, USA | 28 February 1942 |
Assigned as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 [BN-P] "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho |
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Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 25 October 1942 |
Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 [BN-P] "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS. |
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Mission #1, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 |
Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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Mission #2, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 |
Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #3, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, RTB OK. |
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Mission #4, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24609, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 |
Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24609 "Holy Mackerel", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Loreint, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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Mission #5, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24605, 303BG/359BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 |
Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24605 "Knockout Dropper", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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Mission #6, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS | Lille, France | 13 January 1943 |
Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #7, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24565, 303BG/359BS | Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 |
Served as Navigator of B-17F 41-24565 "Idaho Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #8, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Osnabrück, Germany | 4 February 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the industrial areas of Osnabruck, Germany. RTB OK. |
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Mission #9, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Hamm, Germany | 14 February 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany. Severe cold and weather forced Wing Command to recall the entire 303BG formations. RTB OK. |
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Mission #10, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 26 February 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potatoe Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the naval faciliteis and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
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Mission #11, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Brest, France | 27 February 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Brest, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #12, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 4 March 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball MKII", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK. |
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Mission #13, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Rennes, France | 8 March 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rennes, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #14, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Rouen, France | 12 March 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK. |
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Mission #14, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 42-5243, 303BG/359BS | Rouen, France | 28 March 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 42-5243 "FDR's Potato Peeler Kids", 303BG/359BS to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK. |
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Squadron Transfer | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 29 March 1943 |
Transferred from the 359BS to the 360BS. |
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Promotion in Rank | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 30 March 1943 |
Promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutanant. |
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Killed in Action | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 |
Mission #17, 1LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS KOM | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. The aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17F 42-29537 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam and he was Killed on Mission (KOM) |
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Buried | April 1943 | |
Cambridge American Cemetery |
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Buried | Elmlawn Cemetery Tonawanda, Erie County, NY | 1948 |
Memorialised |
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Mission #16, 2LT Richard C. Browning, w/B-17F 41-24635, 303BG/359BS | Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | |
Served as Navigator on B-17F 41-24635 "The '8' Ball MKII", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Germany. RTB OK. |
Date | Contributor | Update |
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02 July 2021 13:32:48 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, highest rank, biography, awards, events and place associations |
Sources | ||
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56288157/richard-c.-browning |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
21 February 2020 04:37:34 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
Sources | ||
Added a "-" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" for clarity. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
29 October 2019 22:06:53 | jmoore43 | Changes to person associations |
Sources | ||
Added a connection to pilot Keith O. Bartlett. |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:23:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Promotion in Rank event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:20:56 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Squadron Transfer event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:18:02 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #17 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:10:21 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #16 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 28-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/026.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:07:47 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #15 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:05:19 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #14 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/022.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 23:02:47 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #13 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 8-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/021.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:59:26 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #12 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/019.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:48:48 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #11 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 27-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/018.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:46:07 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #10 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 26-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:39:48 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 14-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/015.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:36:54 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/014.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:31:40 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:28:50 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 22:24:33 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events and aircraft associations |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:54:06 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:50:36 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:47:10 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:45:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:38:59 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Ross C. Bales crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-bales.html |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 21:36:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Ross C. Bales crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-bales.html |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
04 March 2016 19:42:48 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography, unit associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 4-May-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival info, participations statement and edited loss paragraph to Summary Biography; Made connections to ALL Units, Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Ross C. Bales crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-bales.html |
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Date | Contributor | Update |
27 September 2014 18:22:26 | AAM | AAM ingest |
Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit history, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 94, 303rd \web site, ABMC web site |