These
two First Aid Kits belonged to a B-17 from the 303rd Bomb Group.
It was lost while climbing to altitude to join the formation as it
was forming over England. Only a few details of the incident were
known such as the Bomb Group and crash location, but these were
enough to be able to trace the aircraft, crew and details of the
crash.
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The
Mission
November 11th 1944
303rd
BG (H) Combat Mission No. 272
Target:
Buer Synthetic Oil Plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Crews
Dispatched: 39
Length
of Mission: 6 hours, 5 minutes
Bomb
Load: 18 x 250 lb H.E. M57 bombs
Bombing
Altitudes: 27,600, 26,800 & 28,900
Ammo
Fired: 8,260 rounds
The
war was not over for the 303rd BG(H) airmen on this Armistice Day.
The primary target was the synthetic oil plant at Gelsenkirchen,
the secondary target was the Heime marshalling yards and the last
resort was the Guterslch Airfield – all in Germany. One B-17
returned early with mechanical difficulties, #42-102945 Sweet
Pea, (Lt. McKinley).
All
bombs were dropped on the primary target by GEE-H. In the target
area were 9/10 to 10/10 low clouds with no middle or high clouds.
There were dense, persistent contrails above 25,000 feet. Thirty-seven
aircraft dropped 638 250-lb. H.E. M57 bombs from 27,600, 26,800
and 28,900 feet. Results were unobserved, but believed to be good.
GEE-H signals in the low Squadron were weak.
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Anti-aircraft
gunfire in the target area was moderate and inaccurate with a few
accurate bursts on the high Squadron. One high Squadron B-17 had
minor damage. No enemy fighters appeared and 52 P-51s provided
very good support.
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The
Crew
PAUL
C. STEPHAN CREW
360th Bombardment Squadron
2Lt Paul C. Stephan ( Pilot ), 2Lt
John R. Clinger ( Co-Pilot )
F/O
Harold G. Lewis ( Navigator ), Sgt
Thomas W. Tapley ( Toggelier )
Sgt Dwight A. Phillips, Jr. ( Engineer ), T/Sgt Raymond R. Ladurini
( Radio Op )
T/Sgt
Stanton W. Keyes ( Ball Turret ), S/Sgt
Edgar P. Harris, Jr. ( Waist Gunner )
S/Sgt Robert J. Sorenson ( Tail Gunner )
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The Crash
Fortress #44-8422 Duffy's Tavern, 358BS,
piloted by 2Lt. Paul C. Stephan,
360BS, blew up after take-off and crashed near Atchon over Much
Wenlock. The aircraft flew on instruments after take-off,
expecting to break clear at about 18,000 feet. The pilot told Sgt.
Robert J. Sorensen,
the waist gunner, to pull the bomb safety pins while still over
England at about 14,000 feet altitude. When the pulling of the
pins was confirmed, the order to put on oxygen masks was heard.
About
10 minutes later, at 17,000 feet, flame was seen coming from the
No. 1 engine. The B-17 flipped over, went into a spin and
exploded. Sgt. Sorensen was blown head-first out of the aircraft before he
could reach and attach his parachute. Then the unbelievable
happened — while falling without a 'chute, a parachute pack fell
into his arms out of the falling debris. He was able to snap the
chest pack onto his harness, but nothing happened when he pulled
the rip cord. He clawed at the pack, finally getting it partially
opened. He landed in a large tree, badly injured.
Sgt.
Dwight A. Phillips,
Jr., the engineer, managed to parachute free of the Fortress and
landed with a broken back. He reported that the crash was caused
by the B-17 getting caught in the slipstream of another climbing
B-17 that flipped his aircraft and sent it into a spin. The
Fortress crashed on a road between the villages of Much Wenlock
and Bourton, with wreckage strewn over a four-mile area. The rest
of the crew were all killed in the crash.
On
11 November 1948, the town of Much Wenlock established a memorial
clock mounted on an old oak panel and affixed it to the wall of
the town guildhall. It bears RAF and USAAF wings with the
inscription:
"In
honor of the sacrifices in the cause
of freedom made by those members of the Allied Air forces who lost
their lives in the Borough of Wenlock. 1939-1945."
Below
this inscription are the names of the seven Sorensen crew members
who died, as well as three other American airmen and six British
airmen who lost their lives in that area.
Credits
- Information regarding the crash and crew courtesy of the 303rd
Bomb Group Website - www.303rdbg.com
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Included in the kits are a
Tornequet,
Sulfanilamide Crystals (
Still Sealed ),
Gentian Violet Jelly ( Half
Squeezed Tube ),
Small First Aid Dressing US
Army Carlise Model Sterilized ( Still Sealed ),
First Aid Packet US Govt
Carlise Model Sterilized with Sulfanilmide,
Plain Gauze Bandage Compressed
3 inches-6 Yards,
and a Kit Contents/Instruction
List. One Kit is more complete than the other.
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