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

Delivered Denver 23/2/43; Sioux City 16/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 16/4/43; Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-F/P] Kimbolton 18/5/43; Missing in Action Bernburg 22/2/44 with Bob Haston, Radio Operator: Gordon Fisher, Waist gunner: Bill Nixon, Waist gunner: Conrad Gemmecke,Tail gunner: Lester Adriensen (5 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Foy Clingman{chute failed}, Navigator: Harry Sheaffer{fell out of bomb bay minus chute when attempting to to release a hung up bomb}, Bombardier: Stanislaw Burblis{togg}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ken Raack, Ball turret gunner: Bob Spisak (5 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed two miles S of Gottingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 2870. SONS O’ SATAN.

Delivered Dallas 28/6/44; Cheyenne 24/9/44; Hunter 3/10/44; Dow Fd 16/10/44; Assigned 815BS/483BG PFF Sterparone 3/11/44; Missing in Action night mission to Salzburg 7/12/44 with Ernie Cooper, Sharbutt, Avallone, Swan, Bentley, Freese, Stone, McMurrain, Steel, Turner (10 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Fernhattal/Untertauern, Austria; Missing Air Crew Report 10218

Delivered Cheyenne 22/4/43; Smoky Hill 28/4/43; Walla Walla 5/7/43; Tinker 28/5/43; Smoky Hill 1/6/43; Dow Fd 6/6/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-E], then 412BS [QW-E] Horham 15/6/43; (25m), Missing in Action Emden 11/12/43 with Jack Moore, Co-pilot: Malcolm Healey, Navigator: Ed Stanbery, Bombardier: Leonard W. Eaton, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Sparks, Radio Operator: Frank Abbadessa, Ball turret gunner: Don Rybolt, Waist gunner: Paul Claybaugh, Waist gunner: Bob Byard,Tail gunner: Marvin Ritter (10 Killed in Action); ditched off Langeoog Is, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 1562. BLONDIE II.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/1/43; Salina 12/2/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-H/J/N/D] Chelveston 4/3/43. Completed missions as “Spitz Fire” under command of Lt. Frank R. Spitznagel Jr. until 8/19/43; transferred 381BG Ridgewell 11/9/43 1m; 526BS/379BG [LF-U] Kimbolton 26/9/43; then 525BS [FR-C]; Missing in Action Frankfurt 8/2/44 with Doris Beam, Navigator: Gene Gallagher, Radio Operator: George Potenakes, Waist gunner: George Lissandrello,Tail gunner: Bob Kelly (5 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Dean Tate, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Lessig, Ball turret gunner: John Bernier, Waist gunner: David Helsel (4EVD-all ret UK by 18/3/44); Co-pilot: Bob Ross (KIA-chute damaged by numerous bullet holes); enemy aircraft, crash landed Monchy-Humieres, five miles NW of Compiegne, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 2869.

Delivered Cheyenne 9/9/42; Presque Is 19/10/42; Assigned: 422BS/305BG [JJ-M] Chelveston 30/10/42, then 364BS [WF-M]; MIA Stuttgart 6/9/43 Pilot: Ron Dahly, Co-Pilot: Roger Jones{broke both legs}, Bombardier: Bill Beckman, Radio Operator: Grant Carter, Ball Turret Gunner: Joe King, Waist Gunner: Adolph Waldman, Waist Gunner: Cliff Jones, Tail Gunner: Bill Koger (8POW), Navigator: Allan Johnston (EVD); Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Jim Millar (KIA); out of fuel, crashed Ferme Lequien, near St Leger-aux-Bois, seven miles NE of Compiegne, Fr. MACR 1343. 4F.

Delivered Denver 11/2/43; Pueblo 19/2/43; Salina 25/2/43; Gulfport 18/3/43; Brookley 28/3/43; Presque Is 8/4/43; Assigned: 331BS/94BG [QE-P] Bassingbourn 17/4/43 HEAVY DATE; Earls Colne 12/5/43; involved in slight mid-air collision Pilot: 42-29711 and down 15 miles from Lowestoft w/Willis Frank 6/6/43; Rougham 13/6/43; Transferred: 422BS/305BG [JJ-V/L] Chelveston 14/7/43; 544BS/384BG [SU-‘] Grafton Underwood 6/11/43; on return from Bremen overshot RAF Coltishall 19/12/43, w/George Cosentine, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Bill Curtis, rest unknown (10RTD), Salvaged. LOUISIANA PURCHASE.

Delivered Lincoln 12/10/44; Dow Fd 24/10/44; Assigned: 833BS/486BG [4N-T] Sudbury 25/10/44; MIA Mannheim 21/1/45 Pilot: George Holdefer, Theo Odell, Sante Fasan, Fred Hermann, John Dellafave, Tony Victor, Sol Shindel, Chas McGee, Joe Ginney (9POW); flak, crashed Ingstettin, Germany. MACR 11798.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/2/43; Salina 20/3/43; Assigned 2BG Navarin 4/43; Chateau-du-Rhumel 27/4/43; Ain M’Lila 17/6/43; Massicault 31/7/43; {26m} transferred 32BS/301BG Oudna 14/11/43; Cerignola 7/12/43; Lucera 1/2/44; Missing in Action {40m} Steyr, Aus. 2/4/44 with Calvin Miller, Co-pilot: Joshua Adame, Navigator: Belot, Bombardier: Reese, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dora, Radio Operator: Poe, Ball turret gunner: Nicholson, Waist gunner: Taylor, Waist gunner: Pochmursky,Tail gunner: Tiefenbrun (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Kleinrifling, Austria. Missing Air Crew Report 4197.

Delivered Cheyenne 27/4/43; Gt Falls 6/5/43; Kearney 29/5/43; Dow Fd 13/6/43; Assigned 549BS/385BG [SG-M] Gt Ashfield 14/6/43; Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Duane Pangle, Co-pilot: Onner Davis, Navigator: Sam Kaiser, Bombardier: Bob Brisebois, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Herb Witherington, Radio Operator: Jim Gant, Ball turret gunner: Harry Jones, Waist gunner: Vince Corleto, Waist gunner: Arthur Brandt,Tail gunner: Tom Cavanagh (10INT); flak on bomb run, crash landed Kristianopel, Sweden. Missing Air Crew Report 3822. MISSION BELLE.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/4/44; Hunter 4/5/44; Dow Fd 21/5/44; Assigned: 305BG Chelveston 2/6/44; battle damage Hamm, Germany. 19/9/44 Pilot: George Hogaboam, Lee James, Mark Neaudeau, Ira Beckman, Abel Flores, Bill Knightley, John Jones, Felix Gladden (8RTD); Billy R. Robertson (POW); Salvaged. 21/9/44.