Roy W Christianson
Military ROLL OF HONOURAddition of image courtesy of Zachariah Fike at http://purpleheartsreunited.org
10-Jul-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 [PU-J] "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo, Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. 16-Oct-41 Arrived ar Molesworth, UK aboard "Beats Me"
Killed in Action (KIA) 23 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24567 'Beats Me', 303BG/360BS while serving as Co-Pilot. Aircraft was struck by bomb dropped from above while attacking the port area of Lorient, France and crashed into the woods of Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France.
Particiapted in 6 Operations (2 were aborted) See Biography events.
His medals, lost after a death in the family, were returned to the Christianson family on 9 November, 2014. See more at : http://purpleheartsreunited.org/heart/2lt-roy-w-christianson/
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
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 23 January 1943
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 3 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Upham, ND 58789, USA | 14 October 1916 | |
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 10 July 1942 | Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
Other Arrived in UK |
16 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot aboard B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS. | |
Other Mission #1, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24602, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 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. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #3, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #5, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #6, 2LT Roy W. Christianson, w/B-17F 41-24567, 303BG/360BS - KIA |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24567 "Beats Me", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was struck by bomb form above and crashed. He was killed. KIA. |
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Pluvigner, France | 23 January 1943 | Killed when aircraft was struck by a bomb dropped from above and crashed into the woods of Bois de Queronic near Pluvinger, France |
Buried |
Rock Island, IL, USA | The remains of all 7 of the KIA crew members were recovered from their burial locations near the crash site and repatriated after the war for Group Burial at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois, Plot D-306B. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-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 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-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 14-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Lee Cunningham 14-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrivial in UK info to Summary Biography.; Made connections to Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Louis M. Schulstad crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-schulstad.html
Addition of medal information and image courtesy of Zachariah Fike at http://purpleheartsreunited.org
Birth details added from http://www.findagrave.com
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Added KIA description Burial description and Biography narrative per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE, also reference MACR 15571.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15571 / MACR 15571, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs by Bishop and Hey Vol. 1 p. 65 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database