Vance W Beckham

Military

Shot down 27 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24637 while serving as Pilot. The aircraft was attacked by fighters on approach to the target of Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Aircraft crashed near Tossens, Germany. He was able to bale out of the stricken aircraft and captured as a Prisoner of War (POW).

POW

Connections

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

Units served with

305th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

366th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

41-24637

Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron

Missions

The crew of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23778) nicknamed "Jenny", of the 44th Bomb Group, return to Shipdham following a raid on Germany, 29 January 1943.

The insignia attached to the breast of several crew members jackets has been censored.

Image stamped on reverse: 'Barratt's Photo Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Jan 1943.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'First American raid on Germany. Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the U.S. Army Air Corps Carried out their first r

VIII Bomber Command 31

Date: 27 January 1943

Places

Chelveston

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Other Prisoner of War (POW)	Zagan, Poland	27 January 1943 - 22 May 1945	Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 22-May-45.
Born

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Zagan, Poland

27 January 1943 - 22 May 1945

Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 22-May-45.

Born

Revisions

Date14 Feb 2015 20:06:49

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 15-Feb-2015. Added SN per MACR 15501; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; made connections to Place and Mission within existing website data; Edited Biography per "Losses of the 8ht & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:26:21

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15501 / MACR 15501, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 p. 67by Bishop and Hey / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database