Walter Gasser

Military
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi media-407592.jpg FRE 4210 A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels".
Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943.

Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navigator; Lieut. Walter Hargrove of Billings, Montana, the bombardier; T/Sgt. Marion D. Ignaczewski of Camden, New Jersey, engineer.
(Front row) - T/Sgt. Frank Kimotek of Campbell, Ohio, radio; St/Sgt. Walter Gassen of Amherst, Ohio, asst. engineer; St/Sgt. Alfred R. Buinicky of Claremont, N.H.; Si/Sgt.[St/Sgt.?] James H. Comer Jr. of Short Beach, Connecticut, waist gunner; St/Sgt. David Miller of Quick Sand, Kentucky, the tail gunner. SEA July 16th 1943 PN.'
On reverse: Planet News Ltd and US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamps]. Roger Freeman Collection

Added connections to airmen's records

Object Number - FRE 4210 - A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed...

Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 14 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. Prisoner of War (POW).



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

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17063132 / O-735354
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot / Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11040361
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11095636
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-734678
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32269483
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (VK-D, serial number 41-24577) nicknamed "Hell's Angel" of the 358th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group in flight. Passed for publication 21 Aug 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Hell's Angel. L1721/29.' Printed caption on reverse of print: 'A Flying Fortress wearing the new recognition symbol of the U.S.A.A.F. and fitted with toughened glass "windows" in the air.' On reverse: The Aeroplane Ltd, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Hell's Angels
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Augerhead
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Lorain County, OH 23 February 1909 Son of Fred and Roe Gasser.

Enlisted

Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States 16 March 1942

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Żagań, Poland 31 August 1943 Interned at Stalag luft 3, Sagan/Zagan, Poland. NARA WWII POW records database : "returned to Military control : 5 July 1945".

Other

Baled out POW

Dieppe, France 31 August 1943 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. POW MACR 470.

Other

Discharged USAAF

23 September 1945 Honourable discharge.

Died

Ohio, United States 27 July 1981

Buried

Evergreen Cemetery South Amherst, Lorain County, OH Evergreen Cemetery South Amherst, Lorain County, OH

Based

Molesworth 31 August 1943 Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Connection with plaque photo

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Wrong spelling of last name. Should be GASSER.

Date
ContributorLucy May
Changes
Sources

Combined with information from a second entry for Walter Qassor. This entry now includes information from the following sources:
MACR 470 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 470

Walter Gasser: Gallery (7 items)