Military
Captain Griffin and lead crew on bombing mission to Villa Coublay, France, beside Boeing B-17, "Flying Fortress" "Lady Luck". 303rd Bomb Group. England, 14 July 1943. L-R: S/Sgt Edwards, Swanson, Capt Griffin, 1Lt Effinger, Lt Taylor. L-R: T/Sgt Eason, S/Sgt Henderson, T/Sgt Schwartz, S/Sgt Wiegand, S/Sgt Plummer.
Lead crew on bombing mission to Huls, Germany pose In front of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 303rd Bomb Group, England. 22 June 1943. Standing L-R: 1Lt Nathan J Rosenblum, 1Lt Milton S Fonorow, Maj William R Calhoun, Capt Lloyd D Griffin, 1Lt William M Preston, 1Lt Walter C Swanson. Kneeling L-R: S/Sgt Samuel L Edwards, T/Sgt William M Eason, S/Sgt Lynewood D Wiegand, S/Sgt Paul E Henderson, S/Sgt Robert Plummer, T/Sgt Vernon Schwartz.
13-Jun-42 Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 42-5434 [PU-J] "Lady Luck" 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. The date of his arrival at Molesworth, UK nor the aircraft on which he arrived there could not be determined from 303BG records. His first comat mission was as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on 26-Feb-43 mechanical failures force the pilot to abort the sortie.
18-Mar-43 despatched on mission to Vegesack, Germany, a strongly fortified shipbuilding region. B-17 42-5723 piloted by L. Griffin returned from mission with an excellent wheels up landing in a field about 4 miles from Molesworth. Crew suffered no injuries. Later crew flew B-17 42-5434 "Lady Luck, 303BG/360BS
Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.
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
Delivered Denver 27-Oct-42; Bury 6-Dec-42; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-F] Molesworth 29-Jan-43; Missing in Action Lorient 6-Mar-43. Shot down by enemy aircraft, crashed into the Bay of Biscay, off Penmarch Point. 2KIA 8POW Missing Air Crew Report 15536.
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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42; Morrison 6/2/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-J] Molesworth 6/3/43; crash landed Alresford, Hants., UK, 26/9/43 with Bob Cogswell [injured in crash], Co-pilot: Dallas Kendall, Navigator: Ed Cobb, Bombardier: Frank Kulesa, Flight...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-5-VE 42-5723 [PU:D] was delivered Long Beach 30-Sep-42; Tulsa 4-Oct-42; Wayne 5-Nov-42; Salina 27-Nov-42; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-D] at Molesworth, UK 13-Feb-43; battle damaged over Vegasak on 18-Mar-43 crash landed with wheels up in field four...
26 February 1943
After 10 days of weather related delays of the bomber offensive, a mission is organised with the port facilities of Emden, Germany as the primary target. However, Emden is obscured by cloud cover and all formations divert to attack the port facilities...
4 March 1943
After several weather-caused aborted attempts in attacking the marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany, the 8th Air Force is finally successful in attacking this target. A total of 71 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (18); 305BG (12) amd 306BG (21)....
8 March 1943
The railroad marshalling yards at Rennes and Rouen, France are the primary targets for this mission. A formation comprised of 67 B-17s: 91BG (14); 303BG (19); 305BG (16) and 306BG (18) is despatched to bomb at Rennes. Conditions are good with no cloud...
13 March 1943
The railroad marshalling yards at Amiens/Longeau, France are the primary target for this mission but the rail line at Romescamps, the German airfield at Abbevile/Drucat and two other targets of opportunity are also bombed. 80 B-17s are despatched: 91BG...
18 March 1943
The U-Boat pens at Vegesack-Bremen are the primary target of this mission. 76 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (18) and 306BG (20). These are joined by 17 B-24's: 44BG (9) and 93BG (15). Of the 103 aircraft despatched 97 are effective...
22 March 1943
4th Fighter Group despatches 4 Spitfires on patrol along the English coast.
28 March 1943
The railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/Sotteville are the primary target. 79 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (22); 303BG (18); 305BG (19); 306BG (20). Of the 79 B-17's despatched 70 are effecrive on the target. One B-17 is MIA and 9 are damaged. The bomber...
31 March 1943
The shipyards ar Rotterdam, Holland are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (20); 305BG (19) and 306BG (19). The weather prevents bombing by 91BG and 306BG reducing the total effective on the target to 33 of the 78 despatched....
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned to Aircraft | Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 13 June 1942 |
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Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 42-5432 "Lady Luck", 303BG/360BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
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| Mission #1, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS - Aborted | Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 26 February 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie, RTB OK. |
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| Mission #2, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5262, 303BG/360BS | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 4 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5262, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #3, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS | Rennes, France | 8 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rennes, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #4, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS | Amiens, France | 13 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Amiens, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #5, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS - RTD | Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 18 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5723, 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Gremany. The aircraft sustained battle damage but the pilot managed to fly the aircraft back to England and made a wheels-up crash landing in a filed. He was not injured and Returned to Duty. RTD |
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| Mission #6, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5434, 303BG/360BS | Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 22 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5434 "Lady Luck", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #7, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5434, 303BG/360BS | Rouen, France | 28 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5434 "Lady Luck", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #8, TSGT William M. Eason, w/B-17F 42-5434, 303BG/360BS | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 |
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Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 42-5434 "Lady Luck", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 January 2018 18:44:21 | Al_Skiff | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Key Image ID. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:55:00 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Made connections to Aircraft 42-5434 and Missionf of 13-Mar-43, 18-Mar-43, 22-Mar-43, 28-Mar-43 and 31-Mar-43 per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Reports of dates stated; http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:47:55 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:46:19 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 28-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/026.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:44:22 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/025.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:41:58 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 09 March 2016 21:39:01 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 9-Mar-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/023.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2016 22:45:00 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 8-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/021.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2016 22:43:08 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/019.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2016 22:40:23 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 26-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/017.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2016 22:36:24 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Loyd D. Griffin crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/360griffin.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 28 February 2016 22:34:06 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nickname, biography, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 28-Feb-2016. Added inital assignment info to Summary Biography; Added nickname; Made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 12-Mar-43) and Missions (through 12-Mar-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Loyd D. Griffin crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/360griffin.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:28:30 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Hell's Angels Newsletter May 2001, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 91, 303rd web site |
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