Rufus Wade Till

Military

Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 2872.



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

People

Aircraft

B-17 Flying Fortresses nicknamed "London Avenger", nicknamed "Bermondsley Battler", nicknamed "Rotherhithe's Revenge" and nicknamed "Bermondsley" of the 379th Bomb Group, 15 February 1944. Passed for publication 16 Feb 1944. Censor no: 305411. Handwritten caption on reverse: '16/2/44.' Printed caption on reverse: ' CHRISTENS U.S. FORTRESS BOMBER. Feb. 16th, 1944. As an appreciation of £800,000 raised during Bermondsey's Wings for Victory Week., the people of Bermondsey christened a U.S. Fortress bomber "

42-31228

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: London Avenger
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron
The nose art of B-17 Flying Fortress (WA-Y, serial number 42-3325) nicknamed "Paddy Gremlin" of the 379th Bomb Group. Image via Constant Anzperger.

42-3325

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Paddy Gremlin
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron

42-37887

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 527th Bomb Squadron

42-5817

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress

42-5829

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Better Half aka Flying Jenny
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Pelahatchee, Mississippi, USA 6 May 1917 Son of Hamilton and Mary Frances [Anderson] Till.

Other

Baled out POW

Munster, Germany 22 February 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wernigeerode in B-17F 42-31028; Hit by flak, exploded in mid-air and crashed near Munster, Germany on 22-Feb-44. POW MACR 2872

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Tychowo, Poland 22 February 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft IV.

Died

Memphis, Shelby County, TN 26 September 1983

Buried

Oxford Memorial Cemetery Oxford, Lafayette County, MS 29 September 1983 Oxford Memorial Cemetery Oxford, Lafayette County, Mississippi

Based

Prisoner of War (POW)

Kimbolton 22 February 1944 Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and consistency
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114130947/rufus-wade-till

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added punctuation in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Removed # from A/C serial No. to aid clarity and comnsistency

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/638860251?rec=635361487
https://www.fold3.com/image/658840705?terms=rufus,till,wade
http://8thairforce.com/members/missionsflownby.asp?perIdentification=48…
379th Bombardment Group (H) Anthology, November 1942-July 1945
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/114130947/rufus-wade-till

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2872 / MACR 2872, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database