Russell Murry Ward

Military

Assigned to 815BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen in B-17G 44-6177 'Dry Run' 18-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Ravensburg; Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 7099



Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

Seen through a 433rd Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress' strike camera, a 816th Bomb Squadron B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5786) nicknamed "Whizzer II" goes down over Nis in Yugoslavia on the 15th of April 1944 in a gout of flame after taking a direct flak hit. There were no survivors. Official caption on image: "(483BG:4M3:2VI) (4:15:1208) (24:21300) ([south-west arrow] 140 [degrees]) (Nis M/Y Yugo) (Ship 111 816 Sq)." Handwritten caption on reverse: '15/4/44. 483BG, 15AF. Nis, Yugoslavia. 42-5786
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Fifteenth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 483rd Bomb Group 815th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35552178
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Armourer / Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Dry Run
  • Unit: 483rd Bomb Group 815th Bomb Squadron

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
Prisoners of war, including Colonel Hubert Zemke of the 479th Fighter Group at Stalag Luft I.
  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Madras, OR 11 September 1917 Son of Murry Crews and Melissa Ellen [Campbell] Ward.

Enlisted

Portland, OR 9 May 1942

Other

Baled out POW

Vicinity of Memmingen, Germany 18 July 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) Memmingen in B-17G 44-6177 'Dry Run' 18-Jul-44 hit by enemy aircraft, crashed Ravensburg; POW. MACR 7099

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Barth, Germany 18 July 1944 Prisoner of War (POW). Stalag Luft I.

Died

Bellevue, WA 25 December 1998 Cremated / Ashes scattered on his favourite golf course.
Redmond, OR

Based

Sterparone Assigned to 815BS, 483BG, 15AF USAAF.