Michael F O'Shea III
MilitaryFlew 24 combat missions in a B-17 as low squadron leader. Shot down twice during 4 months of combat. On August 9, 1944, 14th mission, his plane Thunder Ball #42107216 was shot down over the North Sea after bombing Germany. All of the crew bailed out before the plane exploded. 7 members of the crew were rescued by the RAF/ Air-Sea Rsecue and 2 crewmen died.
On his 24th mission, October 7, 1944, his plane was shot down by flak over Politz Synthetic Oil Refinery, near Stettin Germany. Taken Prisoner of War (POW) and was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III and Stalag Luft VII A. Received the PH when he was injured in landing by his parachute.
AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH/ POW/ EAME w/ 5 battle stars
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag 7a, Moosburg
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Germany | 7 October 1944 | |
|
Born |
Orosi, California, USA |
Revisions
Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources give suffix as 'Jr' rather than 'III':
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9357 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / www.351st.org/ken.harbour/
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self MACR 7391 MACR 9357