B-17G " Pee-Tey-Kuh "   42-31033    613th

11 January 1944   Mission #14   Target: Oschersleben


                  11 January 44 , 0845 hours , engines are on.
                  33 planes are off on mission #14 , target today is a aircraft plant in Oschersleben , 120 miles west from Berlin Germany.

                  The plane was attacked by enemy fighters.
                  2 Men died and 8 men bailed out and are POW`s

Missing Air Crew Report : 2507

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 613th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course :East.
       Target : Oschersleben, Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : Good visibility.

4.    Last know date : 11 jan 1944
       time : 11:29
       location : Hildesheim , Germany.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : enemy aircrafts

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-31033

7.    Nickname of aircraft : Pee-Tey-Kuh.

8.    Engines : R-1820-97.

10.  Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

11.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

12.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot Stephen Greenleaf Nason 2nd Lt 0-681466 POW
Copilot John Wilfred Mitchell 2nd Lt 0-686264 POW
Navigator Jack Arthur Duce 2nd Lt 0-673508 POW
Bombardier Alvin Alfred Gould 2nd Lt 0-669399 POW
Radio Operator Garland Owens S/Sgt 18155256 KIA
Engr / Top Turret Warren Harding Jumper T/Sgt 33237530 POW
Ball Turret Gunner Eldon Earl Leavitt S/Sgt 35740180 KIA
Tail Gunner Herbert Frank Willman S/Sgt 39393215 POW
Left Waist Gunner Donald William Ogborn S/Sgt 12137704 POW
Right Waist Gunner Clarence Henry Biggs S/Sgt 33374505 POW
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Crew of Fred D. Grinham     1st Lt.        0729337        615th

-     About 30 minutes before target , at about 1129 , near Hildesheim , Germany , a fire in No.3 engine on
      A/C 42-31033 was started. The bomb bay doors were opened and the bombs were jettisoned.
      Right under the bomb bay a big flash appeared among the falling bombs.
      Directly after that one man bailed out. Then as ship went straight down five more men bailed.
      The A/C turned on its back , started to lose a wing and then blew up. A/C was then lost sight of.

Missing Air Crew Report by Captain Ken W. Dauble.






Mission to Oschersleben, germany, near Hildesheim a fire in No.3 engine was started and blew up.





Pee-Tey-Kuh bogged down as it landed after a mission to Paris , 16 Dec. 43







Crew after 5th bombing ( Kiel ) on 13 Dec. 1943.

Herbert F. Williams , Robert F. Wagner , Warren H. Jumper , Stephen G. Nason , Leo Stann , Fred H. Rea ( interrogator )
Jack A. Duce , Alvin Gould , Clarence H. Bigg , Eldon Leavitt and Donald W. Ogburn.



Casualty questionaire

This is the report a crewmember writes after he was back in England


- Your name : WAREN HARDING JUMPER.
- Rank : T/Sgt.
- Serial number : 33237530.

- Mission : 8th.
- Target : Oschersleben.
- Target time : app. 11:55.
- Altitude : 20.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Over town of Duderstadt.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : All but Radio operator.

- Tell all you know ? : Before I bailed out I knew the navigator had bailed out and the co-pilot was after me.
                                  I learned later that the pilot bailed out at 3000 feet after trying to get to the waist to look.

- Where did aircraft strike the ground ? : As far as I know , Duderstadt , Germany.

- When did you last see any members : I last seen Owens fighting fire in the radio room and then leaving for
                                                                         the waist to bail out.
                                                                        Then I left through the bomb bay doors.

- Any more informatiom ? : The pilot told me he couldnt go farther as the back of bomb bay as the radio
                                                   room was on fire. He couldnt see anyone back there of flames so he said he just
                                                   bailed out the bomb bay doors.



- Your name : JOHN WILFRED MITCHELL.
- Rank : 2nd Lt.
- Serial number : 0-686264

- Mission : Bombing aircraft plant.
- Target time : 12:20.
- Altitude : 25.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : West of Nordhausen , Germany.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.
- Tell all you know ? : Nav. and Bomb. went out front hatch. Pilot , Co-pilot , Eng. went out Bomb bay.
                                        Rest went out rear door. All went out west of Nordhausen , Germany.
                                        Time was about 1145 , 11 jan 44.

- When did you last see any members : Eng. two waist gunners , Tail gunner at Dulag Luft , Jan 20 1944.
                                                                   None were injured to my knowledge. Pilot , Bombardier , Nav. last seen
                                                                        in France , June 1945. All were in good condition.



- Your name : CLARENCE HENRY BIGGS.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 33374505.

- Mission : Oschersleben , Aircraft factory.
- Target time : 11:52.
- Altitude : 22.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Somewhere near Duderstadt , Germany.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.

- Tell all you know ? : Leavitt , Ogborn and Willman bailed as soon as plane started burning.
                                        Duce , Gould , Nason , Mitchell and myself after Lt. Nason rang bail out bell.
                                        Time approx. 11:20 - 11:30. Garland and Owens - unknown.



- Your name : ALVIN ALFRED GOULD.
- Rank : 2nd Lt.
- Serial number : 0-669399.

- Mission : Oschersleben.
- Target time : 12:00.
- Altitude : 25.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Near Hannover.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.

- Tell all you know ? : All others POW's , and liberated.



- Your name : DONALD WILLIAM OGBORN.
- Rank : S/Sgt.
- Serial number : 12137704.

- Mission : Oschersleben , 8th mission.
- Target time : 1200 Hrs.
- Altitude : 23.000 Ft.

- Where were you when you left formation : Approx. 20 minutes from target.

- Did you bail out : Yes.
- Did other members bail out : Yes.

- Tell all you know ? : S/Sgt Willman bailed out with me. S/Sgt Biggs same as us.
                                         Jumper , Gould , Nason , Duce , Mitchell no knowledge.





  
Stephen Nason Oregon       1918 - POW   Stalag Luft 1 South
John Mitchell North Carolina   POW   Stalag Luft 1 South
Jack Duce Texas       1918 - POW   Stalag Luft 1 South
Alvin Gould Oregon       1922 - POW   Stalag Luft 1 South
Warren Jumper Pennsylvania       1921 - POW   Stalag 17 B
Herbert Willman California       1921 - POW   Stalag 17 B
Donald Ogborn New York       1921 - POW   Stalag 17 B
Clarence Biggs Maryland       1914 - POW   Stalag 17 B
Garland Owens Texas       1918 - 1944 KIA    
Eldon Earl Leavitt West Virginia       1921 - 1944 KIA AR A - 38 - 20

AR = Ardennes , Neupre , Belgium

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