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

People

Ripley William Joy

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19053623 and O-661490
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
Technical Sergeant Frank Kimotek, radio operator of the 303rd Bomb Group in position inside his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. On reverse: 'Photo Shows:- Radio operator Technical Sergeant Frank Kimotek of Hell's Angels. SEA July 17th 1943 PN.' Planet News Ltd, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].

Frank Kimotek

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35301960
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator Gunner

William Patrick Maher

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11039617 and O-797343
  • Highest Rank: Captain
  • Role/Job: Navigator

David Miller

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6666670
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail 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

William J Monahan

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11037222 / O-791476
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

Missions

Places

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
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/38294275
https://www.fold3.com/record/35868287-walter-gasser
https://www.fold3.com/image/124222919?rec=124222960
https://www.fold3.com/record/620102029-walter-gasser-1909
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43553917/walter-gasser

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)