Military
Top L-R Michael Gagich, Gerald S Harvey, Willam R Boree, Adelbert D Shereck, and Jack M Harrington. Bottom L-R Thurman M Geren, Charles R Wilson, William W Jeffers and Harry E Cobb.
Flight Log Feb. 1945 Thurman flew 2 uncompleted missions. 2-26 and 2-27 1945. Mission # 216 and 217
Oversea Destination 2 Jan 1945
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in the North Sea about 10 miles off Holland. The aircraft broke in two just aft of radio room. The 9-man crew survived the ditching and subsequent very cold and wet exposure for over 12 hours until washing ashore at a German coastal installation near Haarlem, Holland. All became Prisoner of War (POW) until liberated by U. S. Forces from Stalag VIIA at Mooseberg, Germany on 29 April 1945. Plane was B-17 'Carrie B' #4338187
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16-Febr-45 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in the...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Sergeant | Bombardier, Togglier | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
Most significant experience occurred on 16 February 1945 as consequence of bombing mission of Gelsenkirchen oil refinery. Because of flak damage to aircraft during and following bomb run, we were unable to return to England and were forced to ditch in...
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
Squadron
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 5/7/44; Kearney 14/7/44; Dow Fd 3/8/44; Assigned 613BS/401BG [IN-C] Deenethorpe 27/8/44. Hit by Flak. Missing in Action on the 16 February 1945 mission to the Minster-Stein coke oven plant, in the Dortmund area. Pilot Jeff N....
16 February 1945
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | St Joseph, Missouri, USA | 9 May 1925 |
| Enlisted | Kansas City, Kansas, United States | 26 March 1943 |
|
as a Private in the Air Corps |
||
| Prisoner of War (POW) | Germany | 16 February 1945 – 1945 |
|
POW |
||
| Died | Chillicothe, Missouri, United States | 1 January 2013 |
| Lived in | Saint Joseph, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States | |
| Buried | Memorial Park Cemetery, Sedalia, Missouri, United States | |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 30 July 2015 13:19:49 | ED-BB | Changes to surname, middlename and events |
| Sources | ||
NARA WWII Enlistment records |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 July 2015 09:51:40 | ED-BB | Changes to service number, person associations, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
MACR 12246 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:11:23 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 12446 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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