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Military
22-Feb-43 Assigned to the 303BG/358BS at Molesworth, UK as Tail Gunner of the 2LT James R. Dunn crew.
31-Mar-43 Killed in Action (KIA) while serving as the Tail Gunner of B-17F #42-29573 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS in mid-air collision with B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG 360BS during assembly for a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. This occurred less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The planes crashed at Mears Ashby and 303rd reports a memorial to the two crews is there.
Participated in 3 Operations. See Biography events.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
31-Mar-43 Killed in Action (KIA) as Pilot of B-17F #42-29573 "Two Beauts" in midair collision with B-17F #41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The...
Group
The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/42; Salina 9/1/43; Morrison 12/2/43; Homestead 17/2/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-O] Molesworth 6/3/43; transferred 323BS/91BG [OR-S] Bassingbourn 7/9/43; Missing in Action Bremen 8/10/43 with John Karp, Co-pilot: Dave Boswell,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 42-29573 [VK-H] "Two Beauts" 303BG/358BS was delivered at Denver 6-Jan-43; Salina 12-Jan-43; Morrison 12-Feb-43; Homestead 15-Feb-43; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-H] Molesworth 6-Mar-43
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/12/42;
...
18 March 1943
The U-Boat pens at Vegesack-Bremen are the primary target of this mission. 76 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (18); 303BG (20); 305BG (18) and 306BG (20). These are joined by 17 B-24's: 44BG (9) and 93BG (15). Of the 103 aircraft despatched 97 are effective...
28 March 1943
The railroad marshalling yards at Rouen/Sotteville are the primary target. 79 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (22); 303BG (18); 305BG (19); 306BG (20). Of the 79 B-17's despatched 70 are effecrive on the target. One B-17 is MIA and 9 are damaged. The bomber...
31 March 1943
The shipyards ar Rotterdam, Holland are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (20); 305BG (19) and 306BG (19). The weather prevents bombing by 91BG and 306BG reducing the total effective on the target to 33 of the 78 despatched....
Military site : airfield
Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Assigned to Unit | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 22 February 1943 |
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Assigned as Tail Gunner with the crew of 2LT James R. Dunn at Molesworth, UK. |
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| Mission #1, SSGT Eugene C. Clowe, w/B-17F 42-29520, 303BG/358BS | Bremen-Vegesack, Bremen, Germany | 18 March 1943 |
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Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 42-29520, 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat construction yards at Vegesack, Germany. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #2, SSGT Eugene C. Clowe, w/B-17F 42-5432, 303BG/358BS | Rouen, France | 28 March 1943 |
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Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 42-5432 "The Hunting Club", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK. |
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| Killed on Mission (KOM) | Mears Ashby, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN6, UK | 31 March 1943 |
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Killed when the aircraft sustained a mid-air collision over Mears Ashby, UK during assembly. |
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| Mission #3, SSGT Eugene C. Clowe, w/B-17F 42-29573, 303BG/358BS - KOM | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 |
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Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 42-5432 "The Hunting Club", 303BG/358BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. The aircraft sustained a mid-air collision during assembly and crashed. He was Killed on Mission. KOM |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 November 2021 19:16:49 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - "Participated" was misspelled. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 March 2020 20:14:39 | jmoore43 | Changes to biography |
| Sources | ||
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 October 2019 21:37:01 | jmoore43 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Added a connection to pilot James R. Dunn. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 23:18:57 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 23:15:47 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 28-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/026.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 23:13:26 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/024.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 23:09:58 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG webiste, Gary Moncur, Historian, James R. Dunn crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/358dunn.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 March 2016 23:07:31 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 14-Mar-2014. Added initial assignment info, loss details and Participations statement to Summary Biography; Made connections to Place, AIrcraft and Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, James R. Dunn crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/358dunn.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:09:21 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Unit history, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 94, 303rd web site |
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