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

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.

Delivered Long Beach Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-Y] Bassingbourn 7/10/43; 16m Missing in Action Frankfurt 4/2/44 with Fewer McGee, Co-pilot: Max Sweyer, Navigator: Don Vandervelden, Bombardier: Ed Bauer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Graham, Ball turret gunner: Tom McMenamin, Waist gunner: Frank Kashock,Tail gunner: Rich Bodine (8 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Walt Getsey, Waist gunner: Cliff Kirkpatrick (2 Killed in Action); heavy flak barrage, crashed Sevelen, near Geldern 13 miles NW of Krefeld, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2235. THE WOLF.

Delivered Cheyenne 4/2/43; Rapid City 20/2/43; Kearney 12/3/43; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-O] Alconbury 29/3/43; t/o Framlingham (6m), Missing in Action Cuxhaven 11/6/43 with Malcolm MacKinnon, Co-pilot: Gene Wood, Navigator: Dick Miller, Bombardier: Windell Neeley, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Babich, Radio Operator: John Vail, Ball turret gunner: Dick Cavanaugh, Waist gunner: John Davoren, Waist gunner: Alex Marek,Tail gunner: Stan Bennett (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft attacked, ship exploded, crashed North Sea, 70 miles N of Texel Is, Hol. Missing Air Crew Report 2807. LONESOME POLECAT.

Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/43; Presque Is 8/4/43; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-A] Thurleigh 16/4/43 DAISY JUNE; transferred 413BS SHACK RABBIT; transferred 534BS/381BG [GD-N] Ridgewell 6/7/43; Missing in Action 14m Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Austin Larson, Co-pilot: Francis Wilson, Navigator: Horace Neff, Bombardier: George Regan, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Edwin Nix, Radio Operator: Mike Trainer, Ball turret gunner: Milt Copeland, Waist gunner: John Crawbuck,Tail gunner: Alex Williams (9 Prisoner of War), Waist gunner: Ross Defenbaugh (Killed in Action); two engines KO’d by enemy aircraft & flak, crashed out of control at Goslar near Bernburg, 20 miles SW of Oschersleben, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1875. THE GREEN HORNET.

Delivered Cheyenne 22/3/44; Hunter 7/4/44; Dow Fd 20/4/44; Assigned 339BS/96BG [QJ-K] Snetterton 22/4/44; destroyed by enemy aircraft at Poltava with Lee Seeman 21/6/44; Salvaged 1/7/44.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/6/44; Hunter 7/7/44; Dow Fd 25/7/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-J] Polebrook 7/8/44; {48m} Returned to the USA Bradley 12/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 15/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 18/12/45.

Delivered Denver 28/2/43; Smoky Hill 22/3/43; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-G] Polebrook 17/5/43 MURDER INCORPORATED 31m; crashed on take off after losing engine at Oundle, near Barnwell, UK 21 February 1944, with Lt – Evans, crew ? ; 2 SAD Lt Staughton 22/2/44, Salvaged . CENSORED.

Delivered Dallas 23/9/43; Gr Island 9/10/43; Romulus 1/11/43; Assigned 551BS/385BG [HR-Q] Gt Ashfield 2/11/43; Missing in Action Berlin 29/4/44 with Hector Garza, Co-pilot: George Beckner, Navigator: Albt Harmsen, Bombardier: Stacy Johnson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Rich Hoffman, Radio Operator: Harry Lynn, Ball turret gunner: Wallace Widen, Waist gunner: Walter Smith, Waist gunner: Emmett Harter,Tail gunner: Alf Fratesi (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KOd #3 and #4, crashed Hessen 14 miles NW of Halberstadt, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4453.

Delivered Cheyenne 6-Sep-42; Presque Is 19-Oct-42; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-H] Chelveston 30-Oct-42; Missing in Action 16-Feb-43 while on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St Nazaire, France. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed at Molac, France. 8KIA 2POW MACR 15497.