Harold Spire

Military
media-30689.png UPL 30689 Lt Harold Spire in a photograph with the Milton Stenstrom crew on 21 October 1942. (Photo courtesy of Rick Flack)

Harold Spire in a photograph with the Milton Stenstrom crew on 21 October 1942. (Photo courtesy of Rick Flack)

Object Number - UPL 30689 - Lt Harold Spire in a photograph with the Milton Stenstrom crew on 21 October 1942. (Photo courtesy of Rick Flack)

Note : In both the 1930 and 1940 Censuses, Harold and his parents are listed as Spires. All later documents, including his Enlistment records, his Escape & Evasion Report have him as Harold Spire...

Shot down 21 October 1942 in B-17 #41-24443 while serving as Navigator. Taken prisoner but escaped (twice) and finally made it to safety in Switzerland on 7 May 1945. Painter Peter HURD had made a portrait of him, which appeared in the February 15, 1943 issue of LIFE Magazine.

(See http://ramosmiller.blogspot.com/2007_01_21_archive.html under "Hurd's Navigator"). The LIFE text errs in saying that “Spire and the engineer took over the controls” and that “the seriously wounded pilot gave them directions in operating the plane back to safety in England". It was in fact the Bombardier, Lt Ewart T. Sconiers, who took over the controls after helping the dead co-pilot out of his seat on board “Johnny Reb” #41-9089 on that 21 August 1942 mission to Rotterdam...

Connections

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Units served with

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14030942
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34199059
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-442752
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12036569
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15067557
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Johnny Reb II, Johnny Reb Jr
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9089) nicknamed "Johnny Reb" of the 92nd Bomb Group, formerly of the 97th Bomb Group takes off. Image stamped on reverse: 'New York Times Photo.' [stamp], 'Air (Boeing) FLY.' [annotation] and '219847.'[Censor no.] A printed caption was previously attached the the reverse however this has been lost. Handwritten caption on reverse: '4/9/42, marsh ground. Johnny Reb.'
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Johnny Reb
  • Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

New York State, United States 30 August 1916 the son of Harmon Richard Spires and Nellie Spires

Enlisted

March Field, Riverside, California, United States 9 October 1941

Other

Captured

Quimper, France 21 October 1942 after the ditching of B-17F 41-24443 off the coast of Brittany, France and being rescued by a French fishing boat which brought him and 8 other crew members to shore

Other

Prisoner of War (POW) and Evaded (EVD)

Sagan, Poland 21 October 1942 - 7 May 1945 held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) and managed to escape. Was recaptured and sent to Stalag 17A Kaisersteinbruch. Escaped again and made it to the American Legation in Berne, Switzerland on 7 May 1945. The record of his escape is recorded on Escape & Evasion Report #2846 and may be viewed at:http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-2846.pdf

Died

Encino, Los Angeles County, California, United States 27 March 1978
Dannemora, Clinton County, New York Had lived (in 1930) with his parents and brothers Kenneth, Wallington and Edward, and sisters Bernice, Marion and Ivanell in Wilton, Saratoga County, NY

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII Enlistment Records
NARA WWII POW Records
US Censuses for 1930 and 1940

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 22-Nov-2014. Added POW decoration.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Nov-2014. POW information: National Archives Records Administration (NARA) Escape & Evasion Report #2846 http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-2846.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Nov-2014. Added mission connections.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 28-Oct-2014. "losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; National Archives Records Administration (NARA) Escape & Evasion record. http://media.nara.gov/nw/305270/EE-2846.pdf.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Roll of Honor, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol 1, pp 38-39 by Bishop and Hey

Harold Spire: Gallery (4 items)