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

Delivered Cheyenne 16/2/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW- ] Andrews Fd, UK 24/4/43; Missing in Action Emden 29/5/43 with Jack McMath, Co-pilot: Ernie Dickenson, Bombardier: Bill Peterson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gerald Olsen, Radio Operator: Lear Godbey, Waist gunner: Ray Masiero,Tail gunner: Virgil Gregory (7 Killed in Action); Navigator: Edwin Martin, Ball turret gunner: Art Shilo, Waist gunner: Harry Boegahalz (3 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, KO’d #3 setting wing on fire, crashed between Partenay-de-Bretagne and Clayes, nine miles NW of Rennes, Fr.; Missing Air Crew Report 3984.

Delivered Tulsa 27/3/44; Kearney 22/5/44; Grenier 29/5/44; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-U] Kimbolton 12/6/44 LIL SATAN; returning from Toulouse flak hit blew off nose 25/6/44 with Karl Becker; Navigator: Bob Evans, Bombardier: Arthur Maataa (2 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Joe Simoncini (Prisoner of War), force landed RAF Hunsdon, Herts; Missing in Action Magdeburg 28/9/44 with Chas Rutledge, Navigator: Stan Pain (2 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Tom Martin, Bombardier: Dave Anderson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Doyle Poling, Radio Operator: Ellis Pierson, Ball turret gunner: Cliff Rondou, Waist gunner: Arthur Green,Tail gunner: Kyle Brown (7 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Niederdadleben, W of Magdeberg, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 9364. LIL SATAN aka QUEEN OF HEARTS.

Delivered Denver 8/1/44; Albuquerque 12/1/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-C] Kimbolton 10/2/44; then 524BS [WA-G]; belly landing training flight 10/04/1944; Magdeburg 28/9/44 with Stan Bailey, Co-pilot: Sumner Alpert, Navigator: Jim Rung, Bombardier: Bill Coles, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Plough, Radio Operator: Harry Gates, Ball turret gunner: John Ingram, Waist gunner: Frank Culfe (8 Returned to Duty); Tail gunner: Phil Maniaci (Prisoner of War); Missing Air Crew Report 9363; re-ass 482BG, then 384BG 1/6/45. Scrapped October 1945. 111 missions. THE LOST ANGEL.

Delivered Cheyenne 4/10/42; West Palm Beach 7/1/43; Assigned 32BS/301BG Biskra 11/1/43; Ain M’Lila 17/1/43; St Donat 6/3/43; Oudna 6/8/43; {62m} transferred 96BS/2BG Massicault 14/11/43; Bizerte 2/12/43; Amendola 9/12/43; Missing in Action {40m} Padua 11/3/44 with Bill Peters, Co-pilot: Fred Penn, Navigator: Bill Staugus, Bombardier: Raphael Rose, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Turner Pickrel, Radio Operator: Ed Spriggs, Ball turret gunner: Chas Mercier, Waist gunner: Fred Olsen, Waist gunner: George Steinhauser,Tail gunner: Hans Wenzel (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, wing broke off and ditched Adriatic ; Missing Air Crew Report 2836. THE GREMLIN.

Delivered Denver 1/6/43; Presque Is 6/8/43; Assigned 20BS/2BG Massicault 27/8/43; transferred 353BS/301BG Oudna 14/11/43; Cerignola 7/12/43; Lucera 1/2/44; {53m} to depot 20/7/44; Salvaged 14/9/44.

Delivered Long Beach 5/5/43; Denver 11/5/43; Dow Fd 31/5/43; Assigned 326BS/92BG [JW-N] Alconbury 6/6/43 RUTHIE; transferred 365BS/305BG [XK-N] Chelveston HELL-CAT 10/6/43; then 422BS [JJ-Z/N]; 858BS/8AFCC Cheddington 26/6/44; battle damaged Romilly 15/9/43 with ? + crew, crash landed RAF Hawkinge; Salvaged 2 SAD Lt Staughton 16/9/43. HOMESICK ANGEL.

Delivered Lincoln 10/11/44; Grenier 2/12/44; Assigned 563BS/388BG Knettishall 15/12/44; transferred 568BS/390BG [BI-K] Framlingham 1/1/45 MAIDEN PRAYER; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 2/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 25/11/45. MY BONNIE.

Delivered Cheyenne 4/8/43; Gr Isle 11/8/43; Assigned: 338BS/96BG [BX-Y] Snetterton 11/9/43; MIA Munich 18/3/44 Pilot: Bob Muirhead, Co-Pilot: Bob Besse, Navigator: Len Hoenferle, Bombardier: Frank Spencer, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: John McMillan, Ball Turret Gunner: Bob Blackburn, Waist Gunner: Edgar Weislogel (7POW); Radio Operator: Jerry Peck, Waist Gunner: Bob Seal, Tail Gunner: Bob Haase (3KIA); Enemy aircraft, two engines out, then ship snapped in half over Black Forest, crashed Ditteshausen, near Freiburg, Germany. MACR 3422.

Delivered Vandalia 26/10/43; Assigned: 561BS/388BG Knettishall 14/12/43; MIA Frankfurt 10/2/44 Pilot: Bob Tolles, Co-Pilot: Ed Moerbe, Navigator: Bill Conway, Bombardier: Harry Wasserstom, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Cliff Raymond, Radio Operator: Vernon Klenk, Ball Turret Gunner: Larry Jacobson, Waist Gunner: Bob Barrington, Waist Gunner: Dick Evans, Tail Gunner: George Millar (10KIA); Enemy aircraft, probably crashed North Sea. MACR 2347.

Delivered Cheyenne 18/1/43; Nashville 27/2/43; Assigned 324BS/91BG [LG-N] Wildflower 21/3/43; Bassingbourn 26/3/43; Missing in Action Oschersleben on its 38th mission, 11 January 1944 to Oschersleben, Germany. Pilot Wayne E. Murdoch chute failed to open; Radio Operator: Teddy J. Morris (2 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Kenneth L. Manson; Navigator: George F.Young Jr; Bombardier: Robert R. Case; Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Arlo L. Roswell; Ball turret gunner: Thomas H. Rogers; Left Waist gunner: Walter T. Romanofski; Right Waist gunner: Russell B. Hoover; Tail gunner: Julius R. Sobieski – foot shot off in action (8POW-baled out over target area); Flak hits and enemy aircraft, crashed between Hornhausen and Ausleben, six miles NW of Oschersleben, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 1918. PICADILLY COMMANDO later BLONDE BOMBER.