They were The first

"They Were The First"
A special page honoring the first 8th USAAF's B-17 crew
shot down over Czechoslovak territory and its pilot,
our friend Jack C. Moore

SAD NEWS
Our dear friend, Jack C. Moore, died on September 7, 2002 at 7:20 pm
He was 82 years old on 7 September 2002. We miss him so much!

During bomb raid to Brux (Most) Oil Refinery on 12th May 1944 was shot down the first plane of 8th USAAF over Czech Territory. It was B-17G #42-97127 piloted by Lt. Jack C. Moore of 100th Bomb Group.
They were hit by flak over target and burning plane went into spin. Pilot ordered crew to bail out. Shortly before explosion in mid-air also he had bail-out. Plane crashed near the target at Cesky Jiretin village. The accident survived all the crew except ball turret gunner Sgt. Wilbur Dishneau. Survivors were taken as POW.

In 1997 for the ceremony of opening of our museum also pilot of this crew Col. Jack C. Moore visited us as our VIP guest. During September 1997 the Museum arranged also the Memorial table to Sgt. Wilbur Dishneau, KIA on 12th May 1944. The table was placed by Dishneau's pilot Jack Moore. Since 1997 Jack Moore is our great friend. Thank you for all your duty, Jack!

The first plane of 8th USAAF shot down over Czech Territory was during the bombing raid of Brux (Most) Oil Refinery on 12th May, 1944. It was B-17G #42-97127 piloted by Lt. Jack C. Moore of 100th Bomb Group.
They were hit by flak over the target and the burning plane went into spin. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out. He also bailed out just before the mid-air explosion. The plane crashed near the target at Cesky Jiretin village. All of the crew survived except ball turret gunner Sgt. Wilbur Dishneau. The survivors were taken as POWs.

The pilot of this crew, Col. Jack C. Moore, was our VIP guest for the opening ceremony of our museum in 1997. During September 1997, the Museum displayed the memorial table to Sgt. Wilbur Dishneau, KIA on 12th May 1944. The table was placed by Dishneau's pilot, Jack Moore. Jack Moore has been our great friend since 1997. Thank you for all your duty, Jack!

... surviving crew members of the "Captain Crow" were captured and taken as POWs in German camps in May, 1944. The time in POW camp passed so slowly. Four months later Jack's bomb Group returned to the area on Czech-German border. It was on 11th September 1944. The "Bloody Hundredth" sustained heavy losses. After the war and liberation from POW camp, Jack returned to USAAF as a fighter pilot and continued his flying career... retiring as a Colonel.

When the Museum dedicated to the battle where the crew was shot down was opened, he attended the first ceremony in Kovarska in Czech Republic. Jack returned with the other airmen of the 100th BG to the places of their own memories...

11th September 1997 - base of Aeroclub Chomutov
Third from left - Luther Bennett (B-17 pilot), then Don Farley (B-17 BTG),
then Petr Novak (pilot of Aeroclub Chomutov), then Jack Moore (B-17 pilot),
then Libor Pasek (a pilot instructor of the author of this website),
then Paul Kramp (B-17 pilot). All veterans are from 100th BG

- 11th September 1997 -
More than 53 years after he lost his B-17 "Captain Crow" during WWII,
Jack C. Moore and co-pilot, Petr Novak, return to the area of Cesky
Jiretin in a Zlin sport plane.

Kovarska, 13th September 1997 - Museum opening ceremony.
Colonel USAF Jack C. Moore is decorated by Colonel Broucek of CzAF
by the Memorial medal of Czech Army and Air Force.

Cesky Jiretin - 14th September 1997
Jack C. Moore in the village where his B-17 "Captain Crow" crashed.
He then dedicated the memorial table to Jack's BTG
Sgt. Wilbut Dishneau, KIA on 12th May 1944.

7. September 2002
Sad news came from the family. Jack passed away 82 years old.
We miss him so much.

See more about Jack and his crew
in the Museum virtual tour -
find the section
Room I. "Introduction"