Victor J Cozza

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

10-Jul-42 assigned as an Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F #41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. Arrived at Molesworth UK aboard that aircraft on 12-Oct-42. Participated in 4 Operations (2 were aborted) See Biography events. He was medically grounded after 6-Dec-42, but still managed to fly one aborted mission on 12-Dec-42. Thereafter he became the Radio Repairman of the 359BS.



On 24-Nov-1943 He tripped over a generator and fell head first into the propeller of the B-17F #41-24605, "Knock-out Dropper" 303BG/359BS

Connections

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

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

Staff Sergeant Richard C. Fortunak of the 303rd Bomb Group, checks his machine gun on his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Staff Sgt. Richard C. Fortunak, 1260 West 17th Avenue, Gary, Ind., Waist Gunner in a Fortress, which he and his crew mates have named "Hoosier Kid", adjusts gun in his turret. WW/ALA. 26-1-43.' On reverse: Associated Press, US Army Press Cens

41-24581

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The 8 Ball
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortresses, including (VK-H, serial number 41-24606) nicknamed "Werewolf", of the 303rd Bomb Group. On reverse: US Army Examiner [Stamp].

41-24606

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Werewolf
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 401st Bomb Group 91st Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

41-24608

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yehudi
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA 10 July 1942 Assigned as the Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 12 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as the Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS.

Other

Mission #1 TSGT Victor J. Cozza, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner on B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS 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 #2 TSGT Victor J. Cozza, w/B-17F 41-24606, 303BG/359BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 23 November 1942 Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner on B-17F 41-24606 "Werewolf", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2 TSGT Victor J. Cozza, w/B-17F 41-24581, 303BG/359BS

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner on B-17F 41-24581 "The '8' Ball", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4 TSGT Victor J. Cozza, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner on B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Roune, France, but mechanical failured forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Killed in Service (KIS)

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 25 November 1943 Killed in Service (KIA) when he tripped over a generator on the pad of B-17F 41-24605 "Konck-out Dropper", 303BG/359BS and fell into the spinning propellor. He was killed instantly.

Born

Middlesex City, Massachusetts

Buried

Massachusetts

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, HIstorian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian: Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 14-Dec-2015. Edited Summary Biography with mission participations; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 513