Military
S/Sgt James Lewis Yarnall, 100BG
JACK OGG CREW #13, 100th BG Front Row L-R: Jack Ogg-CP, Loren Van Steenis-P, Harold Becker-N, Lester Torbett-Bomb. Back Row L-R: Archie Holladay-TTG, Robert Goodman-BTG, James Yarnall-WG, Joseph Clouthier-WG, Walter Schneider-TG, Ed Butchino-WG, Earl Benham-ROG. Yarnall wounded Feb 24, 1944, replaced by Clouthier
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Stenis crew. 17 x combat missions. Wounded in hand and shoulder on Poznan mission in B-17 'Hard Luck II', grounded thereafter, taking up instructional role till wars end.
Awards: AM, PH.
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. 23 x combat missions. Killed instantaneously by flak on Berlin mission in B-17 42-38053 'Hard Luck II' Killed in Action (KIA)
Awards: AM (3OLC), PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. Flew on B-17 "Hard Luck" and 'Hard Luck II', 28 x combat missions.
Earl later wrote up his wartime experience in the book 'With Crew 13'
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew, replaced S/Sgt Yarnall (WIA) after Posen mission. ETD
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME..
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (1 battle star).
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Sternis crew. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Sternis crew. 28 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Captain | Bombardier | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Van Steenis crew. 23 x combat missions. Wounded by flak on Berlin mission in B-17 42-38053 'Hard Luck II' 7-May-44; Wounded in Action (WIA) Subsequently grounded due to wounds.
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. 28 x combat missions. Flew B-17 "Hard Luck" and 'Hard Luck II'. ETD
Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME.
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 3/1/44; Kearney 30/1/44; Grenier 18/2/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-T] Thorpe Abbotts 23/2/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 29/7/44 with Eden Jones, Co-pilot: Bob Ries, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Eadie, Radio Operator: Leo...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 10/6/43; Dow Fd 18/8/43; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-V] Thorpe Abbotts 20/8/43; on mission to Berlin 7/5/44 with Loren Van Steenis, Navigator: Harry Becker (Killed in Action), Bombardier: Lester Torbett Wounded in Action, (8 Returned to...
Military site : airfield
Home of the 'Bloody Hundredth’, a Bomb Group with a reputation for high casualty rates, Thorpe Abbotts was under USAAF control from June 1943 to the end of the war. Some of the airfield survives today, and the control tower houses the 100th Bomb Group...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | West Fairview, PA | 26 February 1910 |
| Enlisted | 4 November 1942 | |
| Based | Thorpe Abbotts | 1944 – 24 February 1944 |
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Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Discharged USAAF | 14 September 1945 | |
|
Medical discharge |
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| Died | Lemoyne, PA | 29 July 1992 |
| Buried | Rolling Green Memorial Park Camp Hill, Cumberland County, PA | August 1992 |
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Rolling Green Memorial Park |
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