B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-U/A] Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 26/10/42; 1 Base Air Depot, Burtonwood 20/3/44; Returned to the USA Robins 1/8/44; Recl Comp 30/8/45. WHAM BAM.

Delivered Long Beach 29/12/42; Salina 7/1/43; Homestead 14/2/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-F] Bassingbourn 9/3/43; Missing in Action 17m Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Elwood Arp, Co-pilot: Howard Sherman, Bombardier: Chauncey Hicks returned via Spain, Ball turret gunner: Russ Hatton (4 evaded capture), Navigator: Nathan Weltman captured in Paris Dec 43, ttg-Ray Thompson, Radio Operator: John Wenninghoff, Waist gunner: Norbert Swierz, Waist gunner: Dean Millward,Tail gunner: Don Hayes (6 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KO’d #3, crashed Mons-en-Pevele, near Lille, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 514. BOMB-BOOGIE.

Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; Hunter 9/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned: 365BS/305BG [XK-B] Chelveston 30/4/44; battle damage Delitzsch, Germany. 16/8/44 Pilot: Chas Laverdierre, Art Leuthhesser, Warren Shepler, Warren Walhauser, Earl Harris, Leo Korland (6RTD); Salvatore Pepitone (POW); Don Gault, Leroy Marsh (2KIA); Salvaged. 2 SAD 17/8/44. MACR 8435.

Delivered Cheyenne 11/5/43; Smoky Hill 25/5/43; Kearney 26/5/43; Dow Fd 2/6/43; Assigned 332BS/94BG [XM-J/B2] Earls Colne 5/6/43; Rougham 13/6/43 MISSY G; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 19/6/44 with Theo Milton inc 447BG crew, Co-pilot: Dave Gerrits, Navigator: Marvin Stokes, Bombardier: Gene Lightfoot, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Edgar Sikes, Radio Operator: Jim Wolfe, Ball turret gunner: Hugh Crimmins, Waist gunner: Dewey Rhoads, Waist gunner: Willard Laney,Tail gunner: Art Gruneisen (10 Killed in Action); flak hit near Alderney, ditched Channel. Missing Air Crew Report 5901. IDIOTS’ DELIGHT.

Delivered Cheyenne 5/6/44; Kearney 19/6/44; Grenier 30/6/44; Assigned: 550BS/385BG Gt Ashfield 2/7/44; {5m} battle damage Merseburg 25/11/44 Pilot: ‘; forced landing Hermée, north of Liège, Belgium. ; Salvaged. 16/12/44.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/5/43; Gore 25/5/43; Gr Isle 4/6/43; Dow Fd 27/6/43; Assigned: 413BS/96BG [MZ-P] Snetterton 26/6/43; MIA Duren 20/10/43 Pilot: Robert Zane Grimes, Navigator: James D. McElroy, Bombardier: Charles W. Carlson; Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Theodore Ralph Kellers, Ball Turret Gunner: Robert William Metlen, Waist Gunner: Harold T. Sheets (6 EVD); Co-Pilot: Arthur Charles Pickett, Radio Operator: Frederick William McManus, Waist Gunner: Jerome Chester Nawracaj, Tail Gunner: George C. Janser (4KIA); Enemy aircraft, crashed two miles E of Blaton, 12 miles NE of Mons,, Belgium. MACR 1017. SHACK RABBIT II.

Delivered Dallas 17/8/44; Langley 5/9/44; Grenier 21/9/44; Assigned as SH aircraft 602BS/398BG [K8-A] Nuthampstead 2/11/44; 603BS [N7-B]; (4m) Missing in Action {PFF} Merseburg 21/11/44 with Ken Hastings (Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Ken Buzza, Navigator: Oral Birch, Bombardier: Chas Wilbur, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Spraggins, Radio Operator: John McMenamin, Ball turret gunner: Dave Morgan, rwg-Jack Madlung, rad nav-Lt Marvin Laufer {lwg},Tail gunner: Gene Minchoff (9 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Mosbach, near Eisenach, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 10412. NUTTY HUZZY.

Delivered Boeing (by land) 17/6/43 (H2X); Wright Fd 5/7/43; Rome 21/7/43; Patterson 3/8/43; Kansas City 8/8/43; Gd Island 22/9/43; Assigned 812BS/482BG [MI-L] Alconbury 30/9/43; Missing in Action Brunswick 21/2/44 with Capt Gerald Binks (Com P, evd. then arrested Liege 27/5/44), Co-pilot: John Baber, Navigator: Ed Horner, Bombardier: Bill Barrett, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Tom Kennedy, Radio Operator: Steve Martin, Ball turret gunner: Henry Raemer, Waist gunner: Bruce Long,Tail gunner: Bill Blake (9 Prisoner of War); Ex nav-Charles Haupt, Ex nav-Joel Punches (ret UK 15/9/44), Waist gunner: Harry Booth (3 evaded capture); p-Ralph Holcombe (KIA-body washed up 04/05/44); mech problem, two engines out, on return attacked by Fw 190 over Zwolle ditched in lake IJsselmeer, nine kilometers SW of Harderwijk, Netherlands; Missing Air Crew Report 2470. CRAZY HORSE. (Remains recovered August 1970.)

Delivered Cheyenne 26/5/44; Hunter 5/6/44; Grenier 15/6/44; Assigned 571BS/390BG [FC-C] Framlingham 17/6/44; Missing in Action Hannover 14/3/45 with Willard Kast, John Romkema, Bob Peterson, Dan McKinney, Paul Akosevich, John Popesen, Dorsett Shipman, Clyde Belveal, Julian Budziak (9 Killed in Action); Francis Nix (Prisoner of War); mid air coll with 42-102972 (390BG), crashed Wulften, near Gottingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 13024. LADY VELMA.

Delivered Cheyenne 2/4/43; Sioux City 13/4/43; Kearney 4/5/43; Bangor 20/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG Ridgewell 6/6/43; transferred 546BS/384BG [BK-D] Grafton Underwood 9/6/43; Missing in Action Kassel 28/7/43 with Bill Dietzel, Co-pilot: Jacques Riddel, Navigator: Herb Funk, Bombardier: Clyde Davis, Ball turret gunner: Larry Dunmeyer, Waist gunner: Ed Amory, Waist gunner: Jack Mason,Tail gunner: Wyman Martin, obs-Lt Ken Dutton (9 Killed in Action); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Howie Adams, Radio Operator: Salvatore Perrotti (2 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft Ko’d #3, crashed Kortwoude, near Opeinde, Hol. Missing Air Crew Report 15165. SKY QUEEN.