Horace D Bowman

Military
media-49566.jpeg UPL 49566 359th Original Crew. Pilot: Ellis J Sanderson. Sanderson crew - 359th BS B-17F Green Hornet aka Yahoodi #41-24603 (BN-Y) Original crew assigned 359BS: 10 Sep 1942 - photo: 10 Oct 1942. (Back L-R) 2Lt Ellis J Sanderson (P-POW); 2Lt Horace D. Bowman (CP-POW) 2Lt John W. Spence (N-EVD); 2Lt John W. Plummer (B)(1) (Front L-R) S/Sgt Sidney Devers (E-Evd), S/Sgt Miles B. Jones (R-Evd), Sgt Harry F. Swanson (RWG-POW), Sgt Frank W. Greene (BT-Evd) Sgt Joseph L Markiewicz (TG-KIA) (3). Not in photo: Sgt Carlos J Silva (LWG-POW)(2)

This is information and pictures my mother had on her brother Frank W Greene.

Object Number - UPL 49566 - 359th Original Crew. Pilot: Ellis J Sanderson. Sanderson crew - 359th BS B-17F Green Hornet aka Yahoodi #41-24603 (BN-Y) Original crew assigned...

10-Sep-42 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F #41-24603 [BN-Y] "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS at Biggs Field, El Paso Texas and arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard that aircraft on 22-Oct-42.



Shot down 23 January 1943 in B-17F #41-24603 'Green Hornet' while serving as Co-Pilot. Flak knocked out 3 engines and aircraft was attacked by FW 190s. Except for 1Lt Sanderson and copilot Bowman, all crew bailed out. The pilots decided to stay in the plane as only 1 parachute was available. Crash landed near Motreff, France and he became a Prisoner of War (POW).



Participated in 8 Operations (3 were aborted) 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.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-435855
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

Ground personnel of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "The Green Hornet". Passed for publication 25 Jan 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'How The Boys Live And Work At Flying Fortress Station In England. Wide World Photo Shows:- Ground crew of "The Green Hornet". Left to right, Cpl. William E. Bowers, Route 1, Elkhart, Ind.; M/Sgt. Joseph R. Dufresne, 30 Lathrop Street, South Hadley Falls, Mass.; M/Sgt. Fletcher Hecton, 518 Twentyfirst Street, Denver, Col.; Sgt. Richard Borgl
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: The Green Hornet
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Assigned to Aircraft

Biggs Field, TX 79918, USA 10 September 1942 Assigned as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas.

Other

Arrived in UK

Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK 22 October 1942 Arrived at Molesworth, UK as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS

Other

Mission #1, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Saint-Nazaire, France 17 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #2, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 18 November 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #3, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Rouen, France 12 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 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.

Other

Mission #4, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS - Aborted

Romilly-sur-Seine, France 20 December 1942 Served as Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #5, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS

Lorient, France 30 December 1942 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #6, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS

Saint-Nazaire, France 3 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK.

Other

Mission #7, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS

Lille, France 13 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Zagan, Poland 23 January 1943 - 23 May 1945 Held at Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia (now Poland) moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Officially Returned to Military Control (RMC) 23-May-45.

Other

Mission #8, 2LT Horace D. Bowman, w/B-17F 41-24603, 303BG/359BS - POW

Lorient, France 23 January 1943 Served as Co-Pilot of B-17F 41-24603 "Green Hornet", 303BG/359BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft was heavily damage by flak, but the pilot, 1LT Sanderson along with CP 2LT Bowman crashlanded the aircraft. 1LT Sanderson was WIA and was captured as a Prisoner of War (POW) and 2LT Bowman was also captured as a Prisoner of War (POW).

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a connection to the Pilot Ellis J Sanderson.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #5 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 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #4 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 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 12-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/006.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 18-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/002.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 17-Nov-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/001.pdf

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Arrived in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ellis J. Sanderson crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-sanderson.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ellis J. Sanderson crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-sanderson.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 16-Dec-2015. Added initial assignment to aircraft and arrival in UK to Summary Biography; made connections to all mission participations per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, historian, Ellis J. Sanderson crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-359-sanderson.html

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jan-2015. Added SN, decoration and POW event per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) WWII POW database; Made connections to PLace, Aircraft and Mission within website data; Edited biography and added crew position per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. No MACR for this loss.

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 by Bishop and Hey p. 66, 303rd BG web site

Horace D Bowman: Gallery (13 items)