Glenn F Hagenbuch
Military1-May-42 Assigned as a Pilot with the 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. 7-Aug-42 Assigned as Pilot with crew to B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. 2-Sep-42 promoted to Captain. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for Sugar".
On 3-Jan-43 he was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the 427th Bomb Squadron (303BG) following the death of Major Charles C. Sheridan in B-17F 41-24517 "Kali". 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. 30-Mar-43 promoted to Major.
After completing his 25 mission combat tour on 29 June 1943, Major Hagenbuch was made part of a special mission to North Africa and upon his return to England was transferred to the VIII Bomber Command. Shortly thereafter he was killed while flying a P-40 on a short flight in England. He was initially buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery.
Major Hagenbuch completed a 25-Mission tour on 29-Jun-43.
Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See. Biography events.
SS w/OLC.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
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
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron 360th Bomb Squadron 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13024754 / O-724149
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Group Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19056037
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 13 January 1943
- Date: 30 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 20 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 6 December 1942
- Official Description:
- Date: 22 November 1942
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
12 December 1918 | Glenn E. Hagenbuch was born December 12, 1918 in Utica, Illinois. His parents Charles and Cora were also born in Illinois. His father was a farmer. He had one older brother and one younger brother. In 1940 Glenn had completed two years of college and was living with his parents and working on the family farm. Glenn enlisted September 9, 1940 as an aviation cadet and earned his pilot’s wings in April 1941. He was initially assigned to the Ferry Command based in Bangor, Maine. In November 1941, Lt. Hagenbuch was recruited to join the American Volunteer Group, the infamous “Flying Tigers”, which was formed to defend China against Japanese forces prior to the US entry into World War 2. He resigned from the USAAF and was scheduled to fly to Rangoon on December 10, 1941 to join the Flying Tigers, but as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he was promptly re-inducted into the USAAF and sent back to Bangor. Lt. Hagenbuch was assigned May 1, 1942 as an original member of the 427th Bomb Squadron of the 303rd Bomb Group, flying B-17F Flying Fortress heavy bombers. He married the former Margaret Spaeth of Shoshone, Idaho on September 11, 1942 shortly before the 303rd BG departed the States for England. The 303rd BG began flying daylight bombing missions to France and Germany out of Molesworth, England in November 1942. Lt. Hagenbuch was the pilot of B-17F 41-24619 S-for-Sugar and was promoted to captain in September 1942 and to major in March 1943, serving as the commanding officer of the 427th BS at the ripe old age of 24. On one of his bombing missions, a young war correspondent named Walter Cronkite flew as a combat observer. After completing his 25 mission combat tour on June 29, 1943 Major Hagenbuch was made part of a special mission to North Africa and upon his return to England was transferred to the VIII Bomber Command headquarters. He was awarded the Silver Star medal on May 13, 1943 and an Oak Leaf Cluster to this medal on September 26, 1943. On October 9, 1943 Major Hagenbuch was killed in a non-combat crash while flying a P-40E fighter on a check flight in England. Glenn E. Hagenbuch was initially buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery and was later reinterred in Waltham Cemetery in Waltham, Illinois. I could not locate any information regarding his widow Margaret. | |
Other Assigned to Unit |
Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 | Assigned as a Pilot to the 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho with the rank of 1st Lieutenant. |
Other Assigned to Aircraft |
Biggs Field, TX 79918, USA | 7 August 1942 | Assigned with crew as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas. |
Other Promoted to Captain |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 2 September 1942 | Promotion in rank to Captain. |
Other Arrived in UK |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 25 October 1942 | Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS. |
Other Mission #1, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS - Aborted |
Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #2, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 6 December 1942 | Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #3, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS |
Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #4, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS |
Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 | Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
Other Appointed CO of 427BS |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 3 January 1943 | Appointed as Squadron Commanding Officer of 303BG/427BS to replace Major, Charles C. Sheridan who was KIA on 3-Jan-43. |
Other Mission #5, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
Other Mission #6, CPT Glenn E. Hagenbuch, w/B-117F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
Other Promoted to Major |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 30 March 1943 | Promoted to the rank of Major. |
Other Awarded the Silver Star |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 13 May 1943 | Awarded the Silver Star medal for gallantry. Posthumous |
Other Awarded Oak Leaf Cluster |
25 September 1943 | Awarded the Oak Leaf Cluster to his Silver Star medal. Posthumous. | |
Died |
9 October 1943 | Died in an accident flying a P-40E aircraft. Crashed into a garden, 8.5 miles N of Bovingdon airfield. | |
Buried |
Waltham, LaSalle County, Illinois, USA | Re-interred Waltham Cemetery | |
Buried |
Revisions
NARA files verified ASN upon entry in 1940 and DFC in 1943. He earned at least one bronze service star on the EAME Campaign Medal.
Added Glenn E Hagenbuch's name to the digital Roll of Honour in the American Air Museum at IWM Duxford.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/154271396/glenn-e.-hagenbuch
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added DIed event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Oak Leaf Clusted award event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Awarded SS medal event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Appointed CO event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Appointed CO event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Promoted to Captain event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Completed Summary Biography, added decorations; Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Glenn E. Hagenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, 303BG Personnel Records: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 20-Feb-2016. Added NEW Person listing for this airman; Made connections to Place, Aircraft and Missions (through 4-Feb-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, 303BG Personnel Records and 303BG Group and Squadron Commanders page: http://www.303rdbg.com/h-commanders.htm