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

B-17 #42-29985 / Barrel House Bessie aka Kathleen

Delivered Denver 22/3/43; Cheyenne 31/3/43; Smoky Hill 5/4/43; Dow Fd 15/4/43; Pilot: Rich Jerger forced landing Meeks Fd, Iceland 17/4/43; Assigned: 545BS/384BG [JD-Y] Grafton Underwood 28/6/43; Transferred: 367BS/306BG [GY-X] Thurleigh 22/8/43; MIA Bremen 8/10/43 w/Tom Ledgerwood, Co-Pilot: John Acker, Navigator: Myron Sorden, Bombardier: Gene Levy, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Harvey Cook, Radio Operator: Bob Van Dragt, Ball Turret Gunner: John Spell, Waist Gunner: Pat Walsh, obs-Capt Paul George (9POW); Waist Gunner: Andy Fila(died of wounds 6 Nov}, Tail Gunner: Art Robinson{trapped in tail when ship hit by Me 110 rockets} (2KIA); lost engine due to flak, crashed Handrup, 10 miles NE of Lingen, Germany. MACR 868. KATHLEEN aka BARREL HOUSE BESSIE.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies 42-38151

B-17 #42-38151

Delivered Cheyenne 29/12/43; Kearney 12/1/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-L] Horham 6/2/44; 5m, MIA Augsburg 16/3/44 with Dave Norred, Co-pilot: Harry Olsen, Navigator: Ellsworth Van Fleet, Bombardier: Frank Balestrine, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Francis Okula, Radio Operator: Gene Devan, Ball turret gunner: Fred Definis, Waist gunner: Theo Tyrell, Waist gunner: Delmar Treptow, Tail gunner: Lou Balog (10 Prisoner of War), first mission of crew; hit by enemy fighters on target turn, crashed Ohmenbeim,, 12 km south-west of Nördlingen, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 3230.

B-17 #42-38123 / To Hell or Glory

Delivered Cheyenne 19/12/43; Gr Island 1/1/44; ass 334BS/95BG [BG-E] Horham 8/2/44; 38m, MIA Pas de Calais 23/6/44 Pilot: Dan Mangan, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Albt Huff (2KIA); Navigator: Herb Cahn, Bombardier: Corry Bloudt, Waist Gunner: Henry Schultz (3POW); Co-Pilot: Harvey Cox, Radio Operator: Dick Ennis, Ball Turret Gunner: Ray Smith, Waist Gunner: Jim Phillips, Tail Gunner: Ewell Riddle (5EVD); mechanical faults, crashed Outer-Lebeke, 11 km of Aalst, Belgium. MACR 5915. TO HELL OR GLORY.

B-17 #43-38333 / Heavy Date

Delivered Cheyenne 22/7/44; Kearney 31/7/44; Grenier 9/8/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-H] Horham 12/8/44; with C.E. Willis force landed A-82 Rouvres, Fr 20/2/45; 73m, crash landed base with ?, non op 6/5/45; ditched North Sea with Roger Sundin 26/5/45. HEAVY DATE.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies 42-31602

B-17 #42-31602

Delivered Denver 28/11/43; Cheyenne 20/12/43; Gr Island 24/12/43; Romulus 20/1/44; Grenier 29/1/44; Presque Is 5/2/44; Assigned: 364BS/305BG Chelveston 22/2/44; MIA Munster 23/3/44 Pilot: Edward Forrest, Navigator: Bill Weeks, Bombardier: Bob Donovan, Radio Operator: Don Kosich, Ball Turret Gunner: Joe Rushing, Waist Gunner: Bill Kurtz, Waist Gunner: Bill Stoner, Tail Gunner: Earl Royer (8POW); Co-Pilot: Dick Lamie, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Bob Sandusky (2EVD); flak, crashed along Zelham-Halle road, Hol; MACR 3431.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies 41-24344

B-17 #41-24344

Assigned 326BS/92BG Bovingdon 20-Aug-42; 414BS/97BG Polebrook 28-Aug-42; Missing in Action on mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. This was 97th’s first mission 21-Oct-42, shot down and crashed Plouescat, near Morlaix, France. 8KIA, 2POW. Missing Air Crew Report 15352.

B-17 #42-107202 / Belle of the Brawl

Delivered Tulsa 20/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow Fd 7/4/44; Assigned: 563BS/388BG Knettishall 8/4/44; MIA Ruhland 24/8/44 Pilot: Edwards; flak, crashed Brux, Czech; 5KIA 4POW; MACR 8287. BELLE OF THE BRAWL.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies 42-107071

B-17 #42-107071

Delivered Tulsa 11/2/44; Kearney 25/2/44; with Vernon Hannaford force landed base 6/3/44; Grenier 3/4/44; Assigned 325BS/92BG [NV-P] Podington 23/4/44; Missing in Action 08/09/1944 Ludwigshafen with Tom Havard, Co-pilot: Hugh waterman, Navigator: Harry Shaw, Bombardier: Leon Linden, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gil Schnaufer, Radio Operator: Harry Brouette, Ball turret gunner: Jesus Ortiz, Waist gunner: Bill Mooney,Tail gunner: Tom Hughes (9 Returned to Duty); #2 caught fire, crew ordered to bail out; pilots took ship on to land at French fighter base; Salvaged. Missing Air Crew Report 8596.

B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies 42-5172 / Thunderbird

B-17 #42-5172 / Thunderbird

Delivered Tulsa 5/10/42; Salina 21/1/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-Z] Bassingbourn 26/3/43; Missing in Action 4m Bremen 17/4/43 with Harold H. Beasley, Co-pilot: Walter L. McCain, Jr. (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Harry Sipe, Bombardier: Matt Michaels, Radio Operator: Mark Schaefer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jay Franklin, Ball turret gunner: Jim Branch, Waist gunner: John Cagle, Tail gunner: Ed Jediak, Waist gunner: Everett Creason (8 Prisoner of War); flak damage, crew bailed over Bruchhausen, while ship crashed near Holzhausen, between Beckeln & Harpstedt, 12 miles south-west of Bremen, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 15521. THUNDERBIRD.

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Chester John Maynard Jr am 08. April 2026 bei 42-102857

42-102807 I believe that is the number on the a/c ! Just give it a 2nd look ! thanks !

b17flyingfortress.de am 07. April 2026 bei 42-31115 / Hell’s Bells

Agree! Also can't be a B-17G-BO-1 block, because of cheek gun installation. B-17G-BO-1 block doesn't have cheek gun on pilot's side of the nose.

Eric Choo 2020 am 07. April 2026 bei 42-37781 / Silver Dollar

hello,this is probably my favourite b17 ever. i had a question so..how this b17 tail seperate from the rest of its body bcz in your video it says that a...

hello,this is probably my favourite b17 ever btw i m also your fan so..how this b17 tail seperate from the rest of its body bcz in your video it says...

mimmo ricciardi am 06. April 2026 bei 42-5949

Hi Mari, my name is Mimmo. I live in Tuscany, Italy, and I know the crash site of B-17 s/n 42-5949 well. I've been to the woods where it crashed...

Phil Flip Marchese am 06. April 2026 bei 42-31115 / Hell’s Bells

the attached image appears to be an uncamouflaged later Seattle B-17G-BO judging by the finish and data stenciling. Camouflage removal on ETO first line AAF Flying Fortress was extremely rare...

Jerry am 06. April 2026 bei 41-2578 / Butcher Shop aka Big Tin Bird

This mission was flown by Major Paul W. Tibbets , Jr. (not his regularly assigned plane or crew). Ironically, Butcher Shop was scrapped in Europe on the very day Tibbets...

Stephan am 05. April 2026 bei 42-6086

Hey Sara, since no one of the crew survived, there won't be much stories or details. Here's the MACR https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90904092 The MACR includes translated pages from German reports. Unfortunately the...

Tim Wright am 05. April 2026 bei 41-2445 / So Solly Pleese

Your date lines up better than the listed accident date above. My great uncle piloted this plane at least one time on 23 September 1942 according to the unit flight...

Tim Wright am 05. April 2026 bei 41-9151

Hi Tim, Would it be possible to get a copy of that photo. I am putting together a book on my great uncle who was on the same mission in...

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