Jimmy Lee OVERCASH

B-17 G-20-BO / SN : 42-31495 "Wabbit Twacks"

Code squadron : SU - R
Macr : 4561

Cemetery Communal of Cherbourg

On May 12, 1944, he was first buried in Cherbourg Cemetery Square No. 6 that of the allies as unknown.

Of the ten B-17 aviators, only five will be identified.

He was identified in 1947 and transferred to the Blosville cemetery

Map Normandy American Cemetery

Son of Katie and Jimmy Overcash, Jimmy Lee Jr has two young sisters Nancy and Mabel, he is the eldest of the family. After his studies he found work in the textile world.

In November 1942 he joined the US Army at Fort Bragg. He then joined the Air Corps.
It passes through Sioux City Air Base, He trains as a mechanic, a flight engineer and a machine gunner.

Aerial View

After arriving on the ground of England, he joined the 384th BG on station 106 of Grafton Underwood on November 17, 1943. He carried out his first mission on 13 December with a bombing of Germany in Bremen with the target of the port, this being his only mission of 1943.

Track layout

The first mission of the year 1944 takes place on January 14, 1944 on a site of V1 in Le Meillard (Somme) in France. The missions will follow one another on various B-17s of the Group, some minor mechanical incidents will punctuate exits that will be canceled for the bomber with return on base. As of March 4th, Jimmy counts 11 missions all as a suburban turret gunner, on that day the mission is aborted when two engines turn with difficulty and smoke, the pressure indicators falter, the B-17 turns around, one of the incidents most Difficult to manage since the start of missions for Jimmy.

The missions will continue to weaken the Hitler fortress, missions that will mostly result in successes for the crews of which Jimmy is a part.
In May 8, 1944, Jimmy is not a man like the others, he knows that today will be a decisive day he has to his credit 29 missions which means that tonight will be the last and he will return in the country ! He will be part of a group composed solely of aviators available and who are willing to make a crew to arm the B-17 "Wabbit Twacks".

B-17 "Wabbit Twacks"

At 1:30 pm, the mission briefing is scheduled.
The mission is located in France on the French coasts in the English Channel.
After attending the briefing Jimmy now knows the purpose of the day, it is the military yard of Sottevast coded under the name "Noball XI / A / I 8" which must receive V2 rockets. Three groups are assigned to this mission including the 384th and which will be grouped within the 41st Combat Wing.
The take-off is scheduled at 4:00 pm with an arrival on target at 7:00 pm.

Techniciens qui arment le B-17 "Wabbit Twacks"

The B-17 crew is mostly Veterans of the Group, some of whom are the penultimate mission, and two members will perform their fire baptisms, including a member of the administrative staff of the Group and responding to the commander's call for ground personnel to conduct at least one combat mission to see what the crew could endure, Major Sanders The eleventh place as an observer.

Chantier de la base de lancement des fusées V2 en construction située à Sottevast-Brix

Plan vol de la mission du 8 mai

It is 15:50 everybody is at his post and the engines are running. Between 1615 and 1625 the B-17s take place in the sky above the base in order to regroup. After assembly, the Group's B-17s join the other two Group (303th and 379th). The formation of the 41st CW is in place and the 384th is in the position of High Group.

Arrived in the middle of the Channel, the formation takes the direction of Brittany to deceive the Germans on their final destination. The training after having made its bypass and having incurred incidents in the course of it finds the escort hunters, after reaching the peninsula at Gouville-sur-Mer they take the direction of Périers which is approaching , At this point the course must be respected to the objective.
But unfortunately in the 303rd BG's leading aircraft an incident occurred at the bomber's station, its sighting system was defective. The flak starts to open fire at about the same time.

La formation du 41^st CW est en place et le 384^th est en position de High Group.

Formation of the 41st Combat Wing of May 8 with location of the "Wabbit Twacks"

While the 303rd and the 379th went as smoothly as possible to the drops, the 384th bombers approach in a black sky without a view, Jimmy B-17 is one minute from the goal when he receives a direct shot of 88 Between the tail and the portholes destroying the rear of the bomber. The B-17 starts in an irremediable dive. No crew member has time to evacuate and jump in parachute. The four-engine continues its fall to crash into the village of the Foyer in Bricquebec in an apple field close to the dwellings.

Locals will try to approach the crash and the wreck on fire but the Germans prevent them, the machine-gun bullets explode in all directions. After the fire of the plane some witnesses will see the Germans hit the corpses of the airmen and even pull away personal belongings. The 384th BG will in the meantime have continued its mission in spite of other tragedies.
The results of this operation will be meager, most bombs will have fallen to about 250 meters of the site, but of the 156 dropped only two bombs will reach their targets.
Low balance for dramatic losses: 3 bombers of the 384th will not return to the base in this 8 May 1944.

Jimmy will be buried on May 12 at Cherbourg Cemetery in the number 6 square of the allies as unknown, out of the ten B-17 aviators only five will be identified. He was identified in 1947 and transferred to the Blosville cemetery before finally settling at Colleville-sur-Mer.

But the worst is yet to come, another dramatic circumstance will seal the fate of Jimmy in this drama.

A few hours after the takeoff of the formation of the base of Grafton Underwood a new arrived on the teletype of this one. The staff of the 8th US Air Force had decided to credit an additional mission to airmen who had participated in a mission to Berlin on 4 May.

Some members of the "Wabbit Twacks" were concerned. Jimmy was not at 29 missions but at 30! So Jimmy had reached his quota and should never have participated in this mission, if this information had arrived sooner Jimmy would have saved ... cruel fate.

For the 1st Lieutenant Foster pilot, the 2nd Lt Uniszkiewicz and the T / Sgt Boone were in their last missions and for Major Sanders who had responded to the wish of the Commander as an observer knew the worst of the combat.

The best day of his life, Jimmy will not know him. The family, the joy of return, the peace found were not intended for him. The destiny of Jimmy and his ten comrades has just been fulfilled: they have given their lives for our freedom.

"Wabbit Twacks"