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Forslund George E.

Name:
George E. Forslund
Rank:
Flight Officer
Serial Number:
T-000093
Unit:
338th Bomber Squadron, 96th Bomb Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
1943-05-17
State:
Oregon
Cemetery:
Brittany American Cemetery, St. James, France
Plot:
H
Row:
12
Grave:
6
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:

Flight Officer George E. Forslund, co-pilot on the B-17 42-29767 “Boothill”, took off from Bristol, UK at 0830 on a bombing mission to the prisoner transit point at the Lorient train station. However, their ball turret went out of commission on the way over due to its oxygen valve freezing open after refilling the oxygen bottle. While the bombing results were good, the plane was hit during its bombing run by flak at 1205. No 3 engine was hit, then No 2. It poured smoke and oil onto the fuselage. Then the stabilizers were hit and they fell out of formation. Joining the following Bomb Group, they flew back over Brest, slowing to 150mph in order to stay together. But Fw-190 fighters came out and harassed them, poking more holes in the fuselage and killing their tail gunner. Dropping out of formation, the pilot ordered the crew to bail out at 1230, about 6 km NW of Spezet. Forslund did not make it.