Says it all

1944 US gliders landing in France


'Slo-Jo' Boeing B-17F-90-BO Flying Fortress (s/n: 42-30168)
 Great Ashfield, Suffolk, England (Station 155) Summer 1943

'Slo Jo' missing in Action, December 11 1943.

Raid over Emden Industrial area, Germany, 11th December 1943.
 VIII Bomber Command Mission 151: 
 437 of 490 B-17s and 86 of 93 B-24s hit the industrial area at Emden, Germany at 1220-1312 hours.

15 B-17s and 2 B-24s are lost, 1 B-17 is damaged beyond repair and 120 B-17s and 18 B-24s are damaged; casualties are 2 KIA, 20 WIA and 185 MIA.

This mission is escorted by 31 P-38s, 313 P-47s and 44 Ninth Air Force P-51s; they claim 21-0-7 Luftwaffe aircraft; 3 P-47s and 1 P-51 are lost; 1 P-47 and 1 P-51 are damaged beyond repair and 3 P-47s are damaged; casualties are 1 KIA and 4 MIA.

Slo-Jo Missing in Action over Emden, December 11 1943 
 Pilot: 1/Lt. Theodore Edward Jennings (aged 21). MIA
 Co-pilot: 2/Lt. Dean Lawrence Barger (aged 21). MIA
 Flight engineer/top turret gunner: T/Sgt. Clarence W.Homolka (aged 22). MIA
 Ball turret gunner: S/Sgt. James M.Reed (aged 22). MIA
 Waist gunner: Sgt. Edson Harold McCord (aged 19) MIA (washed up 20/12/43) 
 Waist gunner: S/Sgt. Edward Lyman (aged 24). MIA
 Tail gunner: S/Sgt. Samuel Kyran Moore (aged 22) MIA (washed up 21/12/43)
 3 Prisoners of War - Navigator: Blair Stragand, (died 1992) Bombardier: Frederick Kemp (died 2000), Radio Operator: John Henry Kelley (died 1987) ; ditched North Sea, two miles off Langeoog Is, Germany. 
 Missing Air Crew Report 1666. SLO-JO.

"Slo Jo" was shot down by Unteroffizier Walter Köhne in Fw 190A-6 of 2/JG.1 and exploded over the North Sea, 2km. north of Lengeoog Island, Germany at 12.26 on December 11 1943.

(Colourised by Paul Reynolds from the UK)
FB/Alan Holderness