Charles Edward Zipfel

Military
Technical Sergeant Charles E. Zipfel, of the 303rd Bomb Group carrying belts of ammunition. Passed for publication 9 Apr 1943. Printed caption on reverse is damaged: 'T/Sergt. Charles E. Zipfel, aged 23, serving as a gunner with the U.S. Army Air Force in Britain, gets ready for another mission. He has already flown on 14 missions and has the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster. Formerly a student, and educated at Eldred High School, he comes from Sigel, Penna, R.I. where his parents Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Zipfel n media-407525.jpg FRE 4165 Technical Sergeant Charles E. Zipfel, of the 303rd Bomb Group carrying belts of ammunition. Passed for publication 9 Apr 1943. Printed caption on reverse is damaged: 'T/Sergt. Charles E. Zipfel, aged 23, serving as a gunner with the U.S. Army Air Force in Britain, gets ready for another mission. He has already flown on 14 missions and has the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster. Formerly a student, and educated at Eldred High School, he comes from Sigel, Penna, R.I. where his parents Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Zipfel now reside. He send them (th)is message "You'll buy 'em and we'll fly 'em. (We're g)etting along fine. Loads of love to all the (?)." U.59. (Not to be pub)lished before 20th April 1943.' On reverse: Current Affairs Ltd, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 4165 - Technical Sergeant Charles E. Zipfel, of the 303rd Bomb Group carrying belts of ammunition. Passed for publication 9 Apr 1943. Printed caption on...

15-Oct-42 Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F #41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar".



Mission Participations (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) See Biography events.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.

303rd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

Aircraft

The tail of a B-17 Flying Fortress (GN-V, serial number 41-24569) nicknamed "Memphis Tot" of the 427th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, shot down near Zwolle. Handwritten caption on reverse: '124569. Memphis Tot. SD. 4/2/43. 427BS. Near Zwolle.'

41-24569

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Memphis Tot
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Captain Albert W. Dieffenback, a bombardier of the 303rd Bomb Group, admires Bugs Bunny painted onto the nose of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Passed as censored 9 May 1943. Printed caption on reverse: '14. Captain Albert W. Dieffenbach, of Garrett Park, Md., and the bomber in which he flies as group bombardier.' On reverse: US Army Press Censor ETO [Stamp].

41-24619

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: S For Sugar
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Brookville, PA 7 April 1920 Son of Albert Matthew and Elizabeth Mae [Brenneman] Zipfel.

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Bangor, ME, USA 15 October 1942 Assigned as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 25 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS.

Other

Mission #1, TSGT Charles E. Zipfel, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS - Aborted

Lorient, France 22 November 1942 Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on 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, TSGT Charles E. Zipfel, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on 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 #3, TSGT Charles E. Zipfel, w/B-17F 41-24569, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24569 "Memphis Tot", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #4, TSGT Charles E. Zipfel, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on 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 #5, TSGT Charles E. Zipfel, w/B-17F 41-24619, 303BG/427BS

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24619 "S-for Sugar", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Died

24 September 1994

Buried

Woodland Cemetery Hebron, Potter County, PA 27 September 1994 Woodland Cemetery Hebron, Potter County, Pennsylvania

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/546128343
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/58565473/charles-edward-zipfel

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 evetn per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Glenn E. Hadenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added Asssigned to Aircraft per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Glenn E. Hadenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment and arrival in UK info to Summary Biography; Made Connections to Place, AIrcraft (through 4-Feb-43) and Missions (through 4-Feb-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; Glenn E. Hadenbuch crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-hagenbuch.html

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://303rdbg.com/rost-wxyz.html#W

Charles Edward Zipfel: Gallery (4 items)

Technical Sergeant Charles E. Zipfel, of the 303rd Bomb Group carrying belts of ammunition. Passed for publication 9 Apr 1943. Printed caption on reverse is damaged: 'T/Sergt. Charles E. Zipfel, aged 23, serving as a gunner with the U.S. Army Air Force in Britain, gets ready for another mission. He has already flown on 14 missions and has the Air Medal and Oak Leaf Cluster. Formerly a student, and educated at Eldred High School, he comes from Sigel, Penna, R.I. where his parents Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Zipfel n

Object number: FRE 4165 - Technical Sergeant Charles E. Zipfel, of the 303rd...

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