Military
He was with the 306th BG stateside from April 1942 until July 1942. Transferred to the 303rd on 06 July 1942. Assigned as Pilot with crew of B-17F 41-24608 [BN-S] "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS 10-Jul-42 at Alamogordo Field, New Mexico. Arrived in the UK at Molesworth, UK on 12-Oct-42 with "Yahoodi" as the first aircraft of the 303BG to arrived in England
Shot down 3 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24608 'Yehudi' while serving as Pilot. Plane crashed into Bay of Biscay. POW at Oflag 64 or 21B Shubin, Poland (moved to Usedom, Germany), Altburgund 53-17. He was shot down on his 5th mission. Paricipated in 6 Operations (3 were aborted) See Biography events.
POW, Purple Heart
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...
Group
Constituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...
Squadron
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-27-BO 41-24606 "Werewolf" was assigned 358BG/303BG [VK-H] Kellog Field, Battle Creek, Michigan on 14-Sep-42; Arrived at Molesworth, UK 16-Oct-42.
...
B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24608 [BN-S] "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS was assigned with a crew on 10-Jul-42 at Alamogordo Field, Alamgordo, New Mexico, The aircraft was the first of the 303rd to arrive at Moleworth on 12-Oct-42. Participated in 5 Operations (3 Aborted). See...
22 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the Primary (P) target of this mission. A combined force of 68 B-17s despatched from 91BG (18), 303BG (18) 305BG (23) and 306BG (9) against the target but a 10/10 could cover prevents all but 11 from 303BG from...
23 November 1942
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the Primary (P) for this mission. A combined force of 50 B-17s despatched from 91BG (10), 303BG (12), 305BG (20) and 306BG (8) to attack this target. 91BG is not able to put any of their group on the target,...
12 December 1942
This mission is composed of two elements. First element: The German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a force of 78 B-17s despatched from 91BG (19), 303BG (20), 305BG (21) and 306BG (18). However, the target is...
20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
...
30 December 1942
The U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the target for this mission. A combined force of 77 B-17s are despatched by 91BG (19); 303BG (16); 305BG (13) and 306BG (18). Only 40 are effective on the target. All but 1 B-17 from the 18 despatched by 306BG is...
3 January 1943
The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are once again the target for this mission. This is proving to be a particularly difficult target to destroy due to its massive, reinforced concrete design. It consists of 14 individual pens connected together in...
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...
Military site : airfield
Built for RAF use in 1941-42, Thurleigh was initially used by RAF Bomber Command before being handed over to the Eighth Air Force. Its runways and hardstandings were improved, and the B-17s of the 306th Bomb Group began using the base. It was their...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Dubuque, Iowa | 24 February 1920 |
| Original Assigment | April 1942 – 6 July 1942 | |
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Assigned with 306BG in the United States. |
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| Transferred to 303BG | Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 6 July 1942 |
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Transferred from the 303BG to the 303BG at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
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| Assigned to Aircraft | Alamogordo, NM 88310, USA | 10 July 1942 |
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Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS at Alamogordo Field, Alamogordo, New Mexico. |
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| Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 12 October 1942 |
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Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS. The first B-17 of the 303BG to arrive in England. |
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| Mission #1, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #2, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS | Saint-Nazaire, France | 23 November 1942 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24606 "Werewolf", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #3, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #4, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS - Aborted | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced him to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #5, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS | Lorient, France | 30 December 1942 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
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| Prisoner of War (POW) | Usedom, Germany | 3 January 1943 – 8 June 1945 |
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Held at Oflag 64 or 21B Shubin, Poland (moved to Usedom, Germany) Altburgund 53-17. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 8-Jun-45. |
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| Mission #6, 1LT Frank A. Saunders, w/B-17F 41-24608, 303BG/359BS POW | Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 |
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Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24608 "Yahoodi", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. Shot down by German fighters. He managed to bale out and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW). |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 December 2015 21:17:07 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event (renumbered) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/004.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 21:12:59 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography, events, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added 41-24606 to aircraft connections and made connection to 23-11-42 mission per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; corrected mission numbering on events 2 - 6. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 20:16:35 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 20:12:30 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 30-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/008.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 20:09:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 20-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/007.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 20:06:38 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 20:03:54 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/003.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 19:59:10 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 19:56:42 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Frank A. Saunders crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 19:53:41 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Transfer to 303BG event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian; http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 19:50:57 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added Original Assigment event from Biography information. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 15 December 2015 19:47:55 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 15-Dec-2015. Added 303BG assignedment and airrival in UK if Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations per 303BG website Mission Reports, Gary Moncur, Historian: http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 January 2015 21:48:25 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2014. Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 January 2015 21:44:55 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to service number, biography, awards, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 13-Jan-2015. Added decoration connections from website data ingest; Added POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Added crew position to description and made edit to include POW camp. SN per MACR 15720. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:09:57 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
306th BG Association Directory, 1 September 1999 Edition; First Over Germany pg. 11; Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th and 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 60-61, WWII Memorial web site, MACR 15720 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-saunders2.jpg# |
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