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Military
1Lt Ehle H. Reber (P), 2Lt Jarold J. Byrom (N), 2Lt Robert J. Swindle (B), 2Lt Allan D. Mitchell (CP). This was the cover photograph on the New York Times Magazine, January 10, 1943 issue.
"Mr. Hayes and Mr. Phillips, representing the New York Times, took pictures of my crew and airplane. Several different shots were taken. They will probably appear in papers and magazines in the States." - Ehle Reber
Crash of Jerry Jinx ( 41-24607) (B-17F)
1-May-1942 Assigned as and Aerial Gunner of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar". Apparently he and the crew were re-assigned to B-17F 41-24607 [GN-W] "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS, no explanation was found in the records of 303BG on their website.
Shot down 23-Jan-43 in B-17 41-24607 "Jerry JinxX", 303BG/427BS. Aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at Lorient, France and crashed in to Bay of Biscay. Killed in Action (KIA). Crew position verified from crew records of the 303rd Bomb Group website, Gary Moncur, historian.
Participated in 6 Operations (1 was aborted) See Biography events.
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
1-May-1942 Assigned as Pilot of B-17F 41-24619 [GN-S] "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 25-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth, UK aboard "S-for-Sugar". Apparently he and his crew were re-assigned to B-17F 41-24607 [GN-W] "Jerry JinX",...
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
B-17F 41-24607 [GN-W] "Jerry JinX" was assigned 427BS/303BG at Bangor 24-Sep-42; Molesworth 25-Oct-42; Missing in Action 23-Jan-43 on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft sustained damage from AA fire over the...
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...
6 December 1942
The German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France is the primary target for 19 B-24s despatched from 44th Bomb Group but are recalled. One squadron of 6 does not hear the recall and proceeds to the target, 1 B-24 MIA.
...
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.
...
13 January 1943
The primary target for this mission is the Atclier d'Hellemmes locomotive works, associated steel works and the railroad marshalling yards at Lille, France. The attacking force is composed of 72 B-17s from: 91BG (13); 303BG (19); 305BG (23) and 306BG ...
23 January 1943
The port area and U-Boat pens at Lorient, France are the primary target for this mission. 305th Bombardment Group is selected as the lead group, but condensation on the bombsight of the lead aircraft in the Group prevents the 305BG from bombing Lorient...
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Ramsey, IL | 11 January 1913 |
| Assigned to Aircraft | Boise, ID, USA | 1 May 1942 |
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Assigned as an Aerial Gunner on B-17 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. |
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| Arrived in UK | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 25 October 1942 |
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Arrived at Molesworth, UK as an Aerial Gunner aboard B-17F 41-24619 "S-for-Sugar", 303BG/427BS. |
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| Re-assigned to Aircraft | Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | 21 November 1942 |
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Re-assigned with crew to B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS. Reason not found in available 303BG records. |
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| Mission #1, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS | Lorient, France | 22 November 1942 |
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Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #2, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS | Lille, France | 6 December 1942 |
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Served as Engineer/Top TUrret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the carriage and wagon works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
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| Mission #3, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS | Rouen, France | 12 December 1942 |
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Served as Tail Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rouen, France. RTB OK |
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| Mission #4, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS - Aborted | Romilly-sur-Seine, France | 20 December 1942 |
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Served as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS 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. |
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| Mission #5, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS | Lille, France | 13 January 1943 |
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Served as Right Waist Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
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| Killed in Action (KIA) | Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 |
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Killed when aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target at Lorient, France and crashed into the sea. |
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| Mission #6, SSGT Irwin D. Blankenship, W/B-17F 41-24607, 303BG/427BS - KIA | Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 |
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Served as Ball Turret Gunner of B-17F 41-24607 "Jerry JinX", 303BG/427BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. Aircraft was shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed into the Bay of Biscay, France and he was killed. KIA |
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| Buried | Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial | 1946 |
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Commemorated on the Wall of the Missing, Brittany American Cemetery |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 20 September 2021 19:37:52 | Al_Skiff | Changes to middlename, biography, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56349466/irwin-dane-blankenship |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 23:08:11 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 23:06:03 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 7-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 23:04:00 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 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 |
| 08 February 2016 23:01:44 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 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 |
| 08 February 2016 22:59:27 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Dec-42: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/005.pdf |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 22:57:16 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. 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 |
| 08 February 2016 22:54:28 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Re-aassigned to aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, http://www.303rdbg.com/ |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 22:52:43 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Arrival in UK event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 22:51:02 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Aircraft event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 February 2016 22:49:02 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to biography and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 8-Feb-2016. Added initial assignment, arrival in UK event, and Operations participation to Summary Biography; made connections to all Missions per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Ehle H. Reber crew page: http://www.303rdbg.com/c-427-reber.html |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 23 January 2015 21:02:40 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to service number, biography, awards, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 21-Jan-2015. Added SN and KIA event per MACR 15473; Added Role per 303rd Bomb Group website, Gary Moncur, historian; Added decorations and Commemorated event per American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) record; made connections to Place, Aircraft and Mission within existing website data; Edited Biography per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:13:31 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 15473 / MACR 15473, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey p. 66 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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