S:Sgt Francis 'Bud' Owens was a waist gunner on B-17F 42-29928 when it was shot down over the Norman countryside in 1943.
The aircraft was part of 533rd Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group(H), and was taking part in a raid on the Gnome-Rhone plant in le Mans on July 4th when it was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf-109s and finally crashed near the small village of la Coulonche.
Three of the crew of ten perished when the 'plane hit the ground, two of those who baled out were quickly captured. With local help, the remaining five attempted to make their way down to neutral Spain with a view to re-joining the fight against Nazism.
Four of them made it to Spain but 'Bud' Owens, a man who on many occasions had put others before himself, was to die of exposure in the Pyrenees, aged just 21. He now rests in the Ardennes American Cemetery in Belgium.
Please follow our project to honour and remember 'Bud' Owens and support it if you can. Thank you.

Saturday, 18 June 2016

Narrator...

We are happy to anounce that journalist Tim Lambert has accepted to be the narrator for our upcoming documentary in the Footsteps of Bud Owens. Thank you Tim!



A Pittsburgh area native like Bud Owens, Tim worked in radio for more than 23 years and currently serves as the multimedia news director at WITF in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Over the course of his career, he has been honored with dozens of state, regional and national awards. He has also been recognized with four National Edward R. Murrow Awards.


Tim has an avid interest in the history of World War II and has been of great support to our project from the start. Please keep up your support as well and consider making a donation to help us finish this great documentary.

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