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

Delivered Tulsa 27/2/44; Hunter 4/3/44; Homestead 8/3/44; Assigned 20BS/2BG Amendola 17/3/44; Missing in Action (62m) Moravska Ostrova 29/8/44 with Bill Garland, Co-pilot: Leo Zupan, Navigator: Albt Novak, Bombardier: Bill Hayett, Radio Operator: Chas Griffin, Ball turret gunner: Jesse Barker, Waist gunner: Ralph DeWitt, Waist gunner: Bob Hoadley (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Irving Katz, Waist gunner: Russ Payne (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, #1 on fire and supercharger went out on #2, while attacks ko’d #3; crashed between Metylovice & Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic today; Missing Air Crew Report 7987. SNAFUPERMAN.

Delivered Denver 20/9/43; Gr Island 6/10/43; ass 331BS/94BG [QE-S] Rougham 9/10/43; sal 2/6/45. LUCKY 13.

Delivered Long Beach 29/10/43; ass 533BS/381BG [VP-R/T] Ridgewell 13/1/44 as BIG MIKE; on mission to Leipzig Pilot: George Hansen, Radio Operator: Ed Senk (KIA); sustained severe battle damage on Rheims mission 2/5/44, but repaired by many volunteers over weeks, including fitting an F-model wing on a G aircraft. When it passed all tests, assigned back in action completing 100 missions, before returning to States, 121 BU Bradley 30/5/45; 4168 BU Sth Plains 21/10/45; Scrapped: Kingman 28/11/45. FRENCHY’S FOLLY.

Delivered Long Beach 19/5/43; Cheyenne 4/6/43; Kearney 30/6/43; Dow Fd 12/7/43; Assigned 416BS/99BG Navarin 15/6/43; Oudna 4/8/43; Tortorella 11/12/43; transferred 340BS/97BG Depienne 14/11/43; Cerignola 11/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Missing in Action Brod 2/7/44 with Ed Ferro, Diro, French, Hunt, Raynard, Moore, Oswald, Smith, Dellinger, Roeth; enemy aircraft, crashed Komarom. Missing Air Crew Report 6617.

Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/44; Kearney 10/5/44; Grenier 26/5/44; Assigned 571BS/390BG [FC-O] Framlingham 27/5/44; Missing in Action Berlin 18/3/45 with Gene Freeman, Merrill Hire, John Rapp, Sam Greenleaf, Leon Gaylord, Ed Hughes, Ray Fry, Joe Ostler, Gene Burlingame (9 Prisoner of War); flak hit on #1 engine, crashed Dreilingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 13139. LITTLE MORON.

Delivered Denver 18/1/44; MacDill 2/2/44; Morrison 9/3/44; Assigned 840BS/483BG Tortorella 13/3/44; transferred 346BS/99BG Tortorella 31/3/44; Missing in Action {43m} Ploesti 22/7/44 with Sid Carr, Bell, Glenn, Lemingh, Strash, Neel, Nepil, Runyon (8 Prisoner of War); Flynn, Ahr (2 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Bucharest; Missing Air Crew Report 6948.

Delivered: Denver 23/10/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; ass 730BS/452BG [6K-Q] Deopham Green 4/1/44; MIA Pas de Calais 1/5/44 Pilot: Francis Smedley (KIA- when baling out chute caught on horizontal stabilizer); Co-Pilot: Bill Hewett, Navigator: John McGrath, Bombardier: George Griffin, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Norbert Rhodes, Radio Operator: Andy Senetsky, Ball Turret Gunner: Jim Gallagher, Waist Gunner: Harry Shoffner, Waist Gunner: John Brown, Tail Gunner: Ray Dean (9POW); flak KOd #2 and set fire to cockpit, brew baled and aircraft crashed St Ulriks-Kapelle, seven miles NW of Brussels, Belgium. MACR 4492. SUNRISE SERENADE.

Delivered Long Beach 26/9/43; Harvard 8/10/43; Scott 22/10/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-Q] Deenethorpe 26/10/43; Missing in Action Orleans 1/8/44 with Gerard Melofchick, Co-pilot: Jim Pratt, Navigator: Dick Tyson, Bombardier: Hughlon Grisham, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Herb Pressman, Radio Operator: Leland Tracy, Ball turret gunner: Lyle Wheaton (7 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Harry Mapes,Tail gunner: Jim Bosarth (2 Prisoner of War); flak & mid-air coll with 43-37859 (401BG), crashed Le Cros, N of Chartres, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 7824. STORMY WEATHER.

Delivered Denver 26/1/43; Assigned 95BG in Marrakesh, Morocco 20/3/43; 367BS/306BG [GY-A] Thurleigh 10/4/43, 368BS [BO-A]; Missing in Action Kiel 29/7/43 with Carl Brown, Co-pilot: Roy Padgett, Navigator: John Fogarty, Bombardier: Bob Alexander, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Graham Diggs, Radio Operator: Earl Norlen, Ball turret gunner: Parry Pederson, Waist gunner: Larry McCoy, Waist gunner: Jim Seigler,Tail gunner: Jesse Wheeler (9 Killed in Action), Bombardier: Bob Alexander (POW – blown out of ship when exploded); enemy aircraft hit ship which just exploded, crashed 30 miles north of Kiel. Missing Air Crew Report 121.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/10/43; Walla Walla 7/11/43; Assigned: 728BS/452BG Deopham Green 6/1/44; 729BS; MIA Misburg 31/12/44 Pilot: Don Ferguson, Lou Weissman, Fred Casad, George Napier (4KIA); George Warder, Collins Morrison, Lou Watkins, Bill Hof, Ken Sommerville (5POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed Rhade, Germany. MACR 11230. SWING SHIFT BABY.