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

Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-F] Framlingham 20/4/44; Missing in Action Dusseldorf 9/9/44 with Bob Gallagher, Co-pilot: Merrill Redda, Ball turret gunner: Joe Costa,Tail gunner: Len Gilkey (4 Killed in Action); Navigator: Chas Yandell, Bombardier: Ed Marshall, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Pfc Bill Ballard, Radio Operator: Andy Hayes, Waist gunner: Ed Kuseck (5 Prisoner of War); flak, engine on fire which set off explosion and aircraft spun in on bank of Ennepe Dam, S of Hagen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 8916.

Delivered Cheyenne 2/8/44; Hunter 12/8/44; Grenier 30/8/44; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-W] Thurleigh 15/9/44; transferred 398BG Nuthampstead 23/5/45; no ops, RAF Valley 2/6/45, Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; ATC Columbus 10/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/7/45; Recl Comp 7/6/46.

Delivered Denver 31/12/43; Phoenix 2/1/44; ass 368BS/306BG [BO-J] Thurleigh 25/2/44; Transferred: 2 SAD 21/3/45; Air Transport Command 29/3/45; retUS 4100 BU Patterson 30/4/45; 4126 BU San Bernardino 16/5/45; 4119 Brookley 13/9/45; 4112 BU Olmstead 16/12/45; Scrapped: Walnut Ridge 8/4/46; later to US Navy as CB-17. NICOTINE NELLY.

Delivered Cheyenne 25/10/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; Assigned: 731BS/452BG Deopham Green 3/1/44; MIA Berlin 21/6/44 Pilot: Harry Lerum, Melvin Van Gundy, Ken Salsbury, George Slessman (4POW); Dick Dean, Paul Young, Fred Thomas, Ed McGrath, Dick Graham, Willard Johnson (6KIA); mid air coll w/42-102662 (452BG), crashed Rheinsberg, Germany. MACR 6238.

Delivered Cheyenne 18/7/44; Kearney 27/7/44; Grenier 8/8/44; Assigned 391BS/34BG Mendlesham 10/8/44; Missing in Action Mannheim 19/10/44 with Chas Halbert, Co-pilot: Jack Ragland, Navigator: Tom Gribbook, tog-Jack Flarty, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Goeteshcius, Radio Operator: Alvin Drost, Ball turret gunner: Larry Frederickson, foto-Manuel Markes,Tail gunner: John Minnick (9 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Leon Fix (Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Ludwigshafen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 9467. MAIL CALL.

Delivered Cheyenne 22/4/43; Smoky Hill 29/4/43; Tinker 13/5/43; Lincoln 17/5/43; Dow Fd 21/5/43; Assigned: 332BS/94BG [XM-S] Earls Colne 25/5/43 LADY LUCK II; Rougham 13/6/43, trans 410BS [GL- ]; MIA Hanover 26/7/43 Pilot: Bob Tessier, Co-Pilot: Joel Dinger, Navigator: John Garey, Bombardier: Joe Nigi, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Milton Partington, Radio Operator: Bob Shawver, Ball Turret Gunner: Ernie Lewis{captured 2/8/43}, Waist Gunner: Lester Beck, Tail Gunner: Elmer Neeson (9POW); Waist Gunner: Dick Allee (KIA); Enemy aircraft, crashed Aurich, near Bremen, Germany. MACR 90.

Delivered Denver 10/1/44; 1SAG Langley 31/1/44; Grenier 23/2/44; Assigned PFF 413BS/96BG [MZ-T] Snetterton 3/3/44, 337BS [AW-T]; Returned to the USA Bradley 21/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 30/11/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 22/12/45.

Delivered Hunter 28/10/44; Dow Fd 7/11/44; Assigned 8AF ? 11/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 29/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 3/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 26/11/45.

Delivered: Cheyenne 18/3/44; Hunter 16/4/44; Grenier 1/5/44; Assigned: 368BS/306BG [BO-G] Thurleigh 25/5/44; Salvaged. 2 SAD 9/8/44. REPORT TO THE NATION.

Delivered Tulsa 8/2/44; Gr Island 19/2/44; Presque Is 5/3/44; Assigned 546BS/384BG [BK-T] Grafton Underwood 11/4/44; Missing in Action Frankfurt 25/9/44 with Noel Plowman, Co-pilot: Larry Ferguson, Navigator: Ed Cheresnik, Bombardier: Carl Hart, Radio Operator: Gordon Maxa (5 Killed in Action); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Cameron, Ball turret gunner: Armando Oliva, Waist gunner: Frank Anderson,Tail gunner: Ken Lentz (4 Prisoner of War); flak KO’d tailplane just after bombs away, crashed Bad Soden, W of Frankfurt, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 9414. SPIRIT OF ’96.