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

Delivered Cheyenne 4/8/44; MacDill 8/8/44; 4209 BU Des Moines 16/12/44; 325 BU Avon Park 3/1/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 2/8/45.

Delivered Tulsa 5/5/44; Hunter 16/5/44; Dow Fd 24/5/44; Assigned 526BS/379BG [LF-S] Kimbolton 2/6/44; Missing in Action Cologne 28/9/44 with Dixon Arnold, Co-pilot: Lloyd Mokler, Navigator: Lou Knecht, Bombardier: Howard Thedinga, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Cyrus Baucum, Radio Operator: Bob Callender, Ball turret gunner: Frank Oberg, Waist gunner: Harry Painter,Tail gunner: Harry Johnson (9 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Anderten, NW of Nienburg/Weser, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 9361.

Delivered Cheyenne 2/2/43; 331BS/94BG [QE- ] Presque Is 8/4/43; Bassingbourn 4/43; Earls Colne 12/5/43; Rougham 13/6/43; Missing in Action Le Bourget 14/7/43 with Floyd Watts, Co-pilot: John Bieger, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Buise, Radio Operator: Sam Potvin, Ball turret gunner: John Carpenter,Tail gunner: Joe Manos (6 evaded capture); Waist gunner: Burton Reppert, Waist gunner: Larry Phillips (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Alan Eastman, Bombardier: Dick Manning (2 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Gonesse, near Le Bourget, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 113.

Delivered Cheyenne 13/9/43; Gr Island 27/9/43; Assigned 546BS/384BG [BK-T] Grafton Underwood 18/10/43; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 28/2/44 with Austin Rinne, Co-pilot: Francis Bornhorst, Navigator: Bill Trees, Bombardier: John Aegeter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Leroy Jones, Radio Operator: Tom Edwards, Ball turret gunner: Jim Hickey, Waist gunner: Bill Page, Waist gunner: Bob Cooper (9 Prisoner of War);Tail gunner: Chas Regan (KIA-chute failed); mech. problems, crashed Forges-les-Laux, E of Dieppe, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 2937. LIBERTY RUN.

Delivered Denver 19/9/43; Scott 26/9/43; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-R] Polebrook 24/10/43; Missing in Action {3m} Solingen 1/12/43 with Jim Plant, Co-pilot: Fred Smith, Navigator: Fred Larson, Bombardier: Wayne Dillard, Radio Operator: Byron Hunter, Waist gunner: John Rowe, Waist gunner: Jake Hobbs,Tail gunner: John Hill (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Tom Harkins; Ball turret gunner: Paul O’Neill (2 Killed in Action) enemy aircraft, crashed near Daun, 37 miles SW of Koblenz, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1658.

Delivered RAF [AN523] as part of Lend-Lease; 90 Squadron [WP-D] Polebrook 21-Apr-41; damaged in RAFR Brest mission 16-Aug-41 with Sturmey, Franks, Mulligan, Goldsmith Wounded in Action (4 Returned to Duty); H. Needle, S. Abrose, M.Leahy (3 Killed in Action); attacked by enemy aircraft at 32,000 ft, the highest yet recorded, and crash landed Roborough, Plymouth, Devon, UK. and burnt out. Written off. (Those who died were killed in initial engagement).

Delivered RAF [AN525] as part of Lend-Lease; 90 Squadron [WP-D] Polebrook 21-Apr-41; Missing in Action on mission to bomb the Admiral Scheer on Oslo harbour 8-Sep-41 with D. Romans, F.Hart, P. Corbett, J. Brown, W. Honey, H. Merrill (RCAF), R. Beattie (7 Killed in Action); shot down by two Bf 109s, but shot down one of them first; the bomber went on to crash in mountainous country, Norway. Crew buried in Bygland churchyard, Otra Valley, 100m north of Kristiansund.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/5/43; Gore 25/5/43; Gr Isle 3/6/43; Dow Fd 27/6/43; Assigned: 332BS/94BG [XM-A] Rougham 27/6/43; detailed Duren 20/10/43 Pilot: Gerald T. Smith, crew ‚ (10RTD); mission ruled out through bad weather and aircraft crashed near Dover, Kent, UK; Salvaged. 21/10/43. LITTLE SIR ECHO.

Delivered Geiger 25/9/42; Assigned 461BS/331BG Casper 23/10/42; crashed 25 miles north Glenrock, WY with Lewis Machala due to poor weather (crew Killed in Service) 25/2/43; Written off 16/3/43.

Delivered Lincoln 20/10/44; Dow Fd 26/11/44; Grenier 5/12/44; Assigned 652BS/25BG Watton 12/12/44; Missing in Action Atlantic weather mission 17/3/45 with Calman T. Estrach; 8 KIA; Missing Air Crew Report 13856.