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Archive Report: US Forces
1941 - 1945

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.

We seek additional information and photographs. Please contact us via Helpdesk
USAAF Crest
11.01.1944 322nd Bomb Squadron B17G 42-31076 2nd Lt.John C. Page

Operation: Oschersleben, Germany (Aircraft Plant)

Date: January 11th 1944 (Tuesday)

Unit: No. 322nd Bomb Squadron 91st Bomb Group

Type: Flying Fortress B17G

Serial: 42-31076 (“Chief Sly's Son”)

Code: LG-V

Base: Bassingbourn

Location: Schmede, near Dummer Lake, seven miles SW of Diepholz, Germany

Pilot: 2Lt. John C Page O-745165 USAAF PoW Stalag Luft 1

Co-Pilot: 2Lt. Thomas C Butler 0-751094 USAAF Age 22. Killed

TT/Eng: S/Sgt. Arthur R Ginder 17032855 USAAF Age 24.

Nav: 2Lt. Lawrence J Lynch 0-809667 USAAF PoW Stalag Luft 1

Air/Bmr: 2Lt. William Stevenson 0-744513 USAAF PoW Stalag Luft 1

Radio/Op: Sgt. Albert J Malcos 36611038 USAAF PoW ??

BT/Gnr: Sgt. Arlie O Wotring 35743598 USAAF PoW Stalag 17B

LW/Gnr: Sgt. James P Allred 34450481 USAAF PoW Stalag 17B

RW/Gnr: Sgt. Charles F. Brock 39542565 USAAF PoW Dulag Luft

Tail/Gnr: Sgt. Warren A Oliver 33524574 USAAF PoW Stalag 17B

REASON FOR LOSS:

The aircraft was last seen at 12:21 hrs at 18,000 ft near Celle, Germany - the B17 was seen to leave the formation apparently under control. But was then observed being attacked by enemy aircraft which then set wing on fire after which it exploded.

50 Mustangs from 356th Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, Eighth Air Force escorted the three divisions of B-17’s during the attack. It is thought that more than 30 Luftwaffe fighters attacked the formations.

Burial details:

2Lt. Thomas C Butler. Ardennes American Cemetery. Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. Plot D, Row 4, Grave 41.

S/Sgt. Arthur R Ginder. Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery. Polk County, Iowa, USA

Researched by Michel Beckers for Aircrew Remembered, February 2016. Grave photo of S/Sgt. Ginder courtesy Pat Kinser, Lt. Butler courtesy of Mireille Goedhart. B17 courtesy Robert Kingswood and Fold, Other photos from the Michel Beckers collection.

MB 01.03.2016

Pages of Outstanding Interest
History Airborne Forces •  Soviet Night Witches •  Bomber Command Memories •  Abbreviations •  Gardening Codenames
CWGC: Your Relative's Grave Explained •  USA Flygirls •  Axis Awards Descriptions •  'Lack Of Moral Fibre'
Concept of Colonial Discrimination  •  Unauthorised First Long Range Mustang Attack
RAAF Bomb Aimer Evades with Maquis •  SOE Heroine Nancy Wake •  Fane: Motor Racing PRU Legend
Acknowledgments: Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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