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.
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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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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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