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
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
17-Feb-42 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F #41-24579 [PU-F] "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as pilot of "Thumper".
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Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper" was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] 17-Feb-42 Gowen Field, Idaho; Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; Aircraft damaged by AA fire and enemy fighters on mission to Lorient, France on 23-Jan-43. 11 man crew. Belly-landed at...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24602 was assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-A] Bangor 14-Oct-42; Molesworth 16-Oct-42; On the 29-May-43 mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France the aircraft was damaged by flak over the target and then attacked and shot down by fighters...
17 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 49 B-17s despatched from 91BG (20), 303BG (16) and 306BG (13). Another element of 14 B-24s despatched from 93BG also joins the bombing force on St. Nazaire. The...
18 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient and La Pallice, France are the Primary (P) targets for this mission. However, those at St. Nazaire, France are attacked by 21 B-17s of 303BG when they are mistaken for those of Lorient. The force attacking Lorient is composed...
6 December 1942
The German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France is the primary target for 19 B-24s despatched from 44th Bomb Group but are recalled. One squadron of 6 does not hear the recall and proceeds to the target, 1 B-24 MIA.
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20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
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23 January 1943
The port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the primary target for this mission. 305th Bombardment Group is selected as the lead group, but condensation on the bombsight of the lead aircraft in the Group prevents the 305BG from bombing Lorient...
29 May 1943
Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Assigned to Aircraft | Boise, ID, USA | 17 February 1942 |
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Assigned as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
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| Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 16 October 1942 |
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Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Ball Turret Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS. |
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| Mission #1 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted | Saint-Nazaire, France | 17 November 1942 |
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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. |
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| Mission #2 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 18 November 1942 |
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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. |
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| Mission #3 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS - Aborted | Lille, France | 6 December 1942 |
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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. |
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| Mission #4 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
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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. |
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| Hospitalized with Injuries | Lulsgate Bottom, Bristol, North Somerset BS40, UK | 23 January 1943 – 17 May 1943 |
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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. |
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| Mission #5 SGT Cecil E. Craft, w/b-17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS BO/INJ | 23 January 1943 | |
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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. |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | 29 May 1943 – 12 June 1945 | |
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Held at Stalag 17B, Braunau-Gneikendorf (near Krems), Austria. Officially Returned to Military Control 12-Jun-45. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 16 March 2020 18:49:03 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 October 2019 20:33:42 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography and person associations |
| Sources | ||
Added a connection to John A. Castle, the pilot of A/C 41-24579. Also corrected typos in "Summary biography". |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:41:15 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:38:27 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:35:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:32:15 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:30:31 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:24:51 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:22:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 February 2016 21:17:50 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and mission associations |
| 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 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 February 2015 18:56:46 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to role, biography, awards, events, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| 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. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:05:18 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| 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 |
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