John W Woolford, Staff Sergeant, Army Air Corps, 96th Bomber Group, 413th Bomber Squadron, Service Number: 18165738.

Early Life: John was born on 7 February 1918 in Arkansas. He was the son of Charles Augustus Woolford, Sr. (1895-1955) and Rose M. Welch (1892-1912) both of Arkansas. His parents were married in Shelby County, Tennessee on 19 August 1916. They were living in Pulaski County, Arkansas in 1920. [1] He grew up with his brother, Charles Augustus, Jr. 1927. His family was recorded in Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas 1930.[2] In 1940 his family was still living in Little rock.[3] After graduating from high school, John enlisted at Little Rock, Arkansas on 14 September 1942. [4] According to that record, John's civilian occupation was a financial institution clerk and his marital status was single, without dependents, entering as an army warrant officer, service number 18165738.

Military Experience: John reported for duty in 1942. Some of his training was at the Harringen Army Gunnery School in Texas. Other possible training places, after being promoted to sergeant and receiving his silver gunner wings, are indirectly known because of the history gathered about the 413th Bombardment Squadron in the 96th Bombardment Group to which he was assigned.

96th Bombardment Group during World War II

The group was first activated in July 1942 at Salt Lake City Army Air Base, Utah as the 96th Bombardment Group, with the 337th, 338th, 339th and 413th Bombardment Squadrons assigned as its original components. After moving to Gowen Field, Idaho the group received its initial cadre. In November 1942 the group moved to Pocatello Army Air Base, Idaho, where it acted as an Operational Training Unit (OTU). OTUs were oversized parent units that provided cadres to form "satellite groups." In early 1943, the 96th relocated to Pyote Army Air Base, Texas, where it resumed its combat training. In April 1943 the group began its overseas movement. The air echelon ferried its bombers via the North Atlantic Ferry Route, while the ground echelon proceeded to the New York Port of Embarkation and sailed on the RMS Queen Elizabeth for Greenock, Scotland.

The group arrived at RAF Grafton Underwood England in May 1943, for duty with Eighth Air Force. The group was assigned to the 45th Combat Bombardment Wing of the 3d Bombardment Division. The group commenced combat operations on 14 May with an attack on Kortrijk (Courtrai), after an aborted mission the previous day. The 96th moved east at the end of May to RAF Andrews Field. The 96th appears to have only carried out one mission while based at Andrews. On 29 May 1943 they took part in a raid on Rennes naval storage depot from which one B-17 failed to return. The 96th took the 386th's place at Snetterton Heath the following day, leaving its previous base available for the 322d Bombardment Group.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/96th_Test_Wing

Location: AAF Station #138 (Snetterton Heath), Command: 8th AF, Group: 96th, Squadron: 338th Bomb. Established as a B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber squadron; trained under Second Air Force. Deployed to European Theater of Operations (ETO), assigned to VIII Bomber Command in England, Flew combat missions over Nazi Germany and Occupied Europe. Snetterton Heath had eventually three concrete runways, 50 hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. The 96th Bomb Group equipped with B-17s occupied the field in June 1943.

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/place/330

VIII Bomber Command 28 July 1943

The German aircraft industry at Kassel (Fieseler works) and Oscherleben, Germany are the primary targets of this mission. The second element is a combined force of 120 B-17s from: 94BG (18); 95BG (20); 96BG (21); 100BG (21); 385BG (26); and 388BG (14) were dispatched to bomb the AGO Flugwerke Fw 190 factory at Oschersleben, Germany. Weather frustrated bombing efforts and only 28 of this formation were able to effectively bomb the primary. A total of 15 B-17s Failed to Return (FTR); 7 of these were from 96BG. 90KIA 55POW 1DIC 5EVD. (John filled the crew position of waist gunner and assistant armorer on B-17 bomber 42-3326 "Moore-Fidite II" flown by Hugh Lamar Hugh Moore.)

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/place/1697

Mission #18 - July 28, 1943: Oschersleben, Germany

“The dark, leadened skies which shrouded Snetterton Heath at dawn were to portend tragedy. The group dispatched 21 Forts as early as 0545. The weather cursed climb-and-form-up procedures throughout the Wing. Everyone's timing was off. Briefing had planned the Wing as follows: the 388th would lead with the 100th low and the 96th high. But groups were late. Rendezvous points were missed. Emerging at last into the wild blue, the 96th found the Wing to be stretched to Kingdom Come. With as much speed as possible, the 96th struck out for the planned target, the Folke Wulf assembly plant some 80 miles from Berlin. Oschersleben would set a new distance record…

“Many Americans were flying their fourth mission in five days. They had been exhausted before they took off this morning. Not so the Germans. They were secure in the knowledge that they could always land, reload, refuel and continue the battle. Today's clash displayed remarkable Luftwaffe teamwork. Germans bounced out of the clouds on Lt. Steve Hettrick's 338th A/C 42-30401. The first pass reduced Hettrick's airspeed just enough to isolate him for the second pass. The crew bailed out over the North Sea; there are still no known survivors. A similar fate awaited Lt. Hugh Moore's 413th crew in 42-3326, Moore Fidite II. Then the next crew to suffer casualties was that of Lt. Gene Wilcox in the 339th's 42-30351, Alcohol Annie…

“When the final toll was taken, it was revealed that 7 aircraft failed to return to Snetterton. Listed as MIA were the crews of Lts. Deshotels, Covert, Wilcox, Moore, Hettrick, Nance and Capt. Fulton. (Five of the Wilcox crew would be returned by Air-Sea Rescue.) Even so, by "lights out" there were seventy empty cots at Snetterton. In fact, the 96th had sustained the highest losses of both the 1st and 4th Bomb Wings. Some of those empty cots motivated Bill Thorns' diary entry: "Clouds broke up formations and enemy fighters accounted for a good many planes."

https://www.rumboogiecrew.com/mission18july281943

Burial: John Woolford’s body was one of only two recovered out of the crew of ten. The second one being Navigator: Munroe Coleman . John’s burial was in the Calvary Cemetery in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas, USA. He was inducted into the Army Air Corps in 1942, called to duty soon thereafter and reported missing in action 29 July, 1943, Killed in European area (W.R. 11-30-43) Reported 12-7-43. Awarded purple heart, air medal, 2 oak leaf clusters (D.N. 11-30-43) Waist gunner and assistant armorer. Note gravestone inscription: “JOHN W WOOLFORD / ARKANSAS / STAFF SERGEANT 96TH BOMB GP AAF / WORLD WAR II / FEB 7 1918 JULY 28 1943.”[5]

Sources

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