Cecil E Craft

Military

17-Feb-42 Assigned as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F] "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oc-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "Thumper"



23 January 1943 while serving as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F #41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS the aircraft received battle damage on mission to Lorient, France and on return nine crew members bailed out over England. Four men were injured. The pilot and co-pilot landed wheels-up at Lulsgate Bottom airfield near Bristol. SGT Craft was injured and hospitalized but returned to duty on 17-May-43.



29 May 1943 shot down in B-17F #41-24602 "Yardbird II", 303BG/360BS while serving as Radio Operator. The aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at St. Nazaire, France and was later finished off by fighters. S/Sgt Craft was able to bail out of the stricken aircraft and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). Dispatched on 8 Operations (6 credited).



Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.

POW

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 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-435855
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24579) of the 365th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group prepares for take off. Handwritten caption on reverse: '30/6/43.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Thumper
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Yardbird II
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Boise, ID, USA 17 February 1942 Assigned as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 16 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Ball Turret Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS.

Other

Mission #1 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted

Lille, France 6 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Greman air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK.

Other

Hospitalized with Injuries

Lulsgate Bottom, Bristol, North Somerset BS40, UK 23 January 1943 - 17 May 1943 Injured and hospitalised in crash-landing of B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper:, 303BG/360BS at Lulsgate Bottom, Bristol upon return from mission to Lorient, France.

Other

Mission #5 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS BO/INJ

23 January 1943 Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft sustained battle damage but managed to make in back to England where it was crashe landed. He baled out but was injured.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

29 May 1943 - 12 June 1945 Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control 12-Jun-45.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to John A. Castle, the pilot of A/C 41-24579. Also corrected typos in "Summary biography".

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. 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 3-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 3-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; made conncetions to Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, John A. Castle crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-360-castle.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 13-Feb-2015. Added decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Added RTD event, mission and loss details and crew positions in Biography based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.; made connection to Place, 2 Aircraft and 2 Missions within existing website data.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor; Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 66