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

Delivered Denver 23/11/43; Wendover 9/12/43; Assigned 749BS/457BG [P] Glatton 19/1/44; transferred 614BS/401BG [IW-D] Deenethorpe 11/3/44 Missing in Action Schweinfurt 13/4/44 with Boudinot Stimson, Co-pilot: Bob Timberlake, Bombardier: Jack Pfaffman, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Karl Kukurin, Radio Operator: Carmen Manusco, Ball turret gunner: Paul Melia, Waist gunner: Andy Allen,Tail gunner: Alf Le Sage (8 Prisoner of War); Navigator: John O’Neal, Waist gunner: John McQueen (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed (?Rohrbrunn?) Weibersbrunn, nine miles E of Aschaffenurg, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 3941. WHAT NEXT ?

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 Tulsa 6/10/42; Wayne 26/11/42; New Castle 24/12/42; Salina 9/1/43; West Palm Beach 17/1/43; Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-P] Chelveston 1/2/43 FLAPPER; transferred 532BS/381BG [VE-C] Ridgewell 22/8/43; Returned to the USA Homestead 13/7/44; Tinker 24/7/44; Patterson 26/8/44; Williams 19/3/45; La Junta 26/3/45; Searcey Fd 31/7/45. THIS IS IT!

Delivered Cheyenne 23/1/44; Gr Island 6/2/44; Grenier 10/2/44; Assigned: 532BS/381BG [VE-M] Ridgewell 6/4/44; MIA {1+m} Berlin 19/5/44 Pilot: Harold Blog, Co-Pilot: Fred Dill, Navigator: George Dennis, Bombardier: Henry Miller, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Jack Thompson, Radio Operator: John Heidebrink, Ball Turret Gunner: Stan Poloski, Waist Gunner: Sam Humphrey, Tail Gunner: Cornelius Anderson (9POW); severe flak damage, crashed in forest 11 miles S of Mohrin Afd, 37 miles NE of Berlin, Germany, (now in Poland, called Moryn). MACR 5030. DRY GULCHER.

Delivered Dallas 14/8/44; Langley 5/9/44; Dow Fd 18/9/44; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-G] Ridgewell 2/11/44; transferred 305BG Chelveston 5/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 23/5/46.

Delivered Denver 2/11/43; Gr Island 12/11/43; ass 365BS/305BG [XK- ] Chelveston 5/1/44; MIA Stettin 13/5/44 Pilot: Chas Bailey, Co-Pilot: Curtis Thomas, Navigator: Thaddeus Borek, Bombardier: Calvin Faragher, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Carleton Williams, Radio Operator: Amim Lakies, Ball Turret Gunner: Irving Ward, Waist Gunner: Jim Kenney, Waist Gunner: Chivous Hardin, Tail Gunner: Bob Casilles (10INT); no gas, forced landing Bulltofta, Sweden, MACR 4873; left 25/5/45, sal 21/6/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 28/6/44; Hunter 15/7/44; Grenier 24/7/44; Assigned 549BS/385BG [XA-K] Gt Ashfield 2/8/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/44; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 22/11/45. MISS FORTUNE.

Delivered Cheyenne 29/6/44; Kearney 11/7/44; Grenier 16/7/44; Assigned 832BS/486BG [3R-S] Sudbury 17/7/44; {16m} Missing in Action Merseburg 2/11/44 with Albt Pierce, Corbin Willis, Bob Lansche, Howard Butler, Ken Mulllen (5 Prisoner of War); Neil Hampton, Albt Siudeikis, Chas Warren, Steve Nemes (4 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Erkrath, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 10167.

Delivered Denver 29/1/43; Salina 3/2/43; Homestead 19/2/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-H] Chelveston 2/3/43; Missing in Action Lorient 17/5/43 with Don Tuttle, Co-pilot: Jim Aubele, Navigator: Chas Spear, Radio Operator: John Gardner,Tail gunner: Ed Seabourn, photo-Ralph Greenfield (6 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Carl Tisone{body never found}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Danny Gruhike, Waist gunner: Alex Schaeffer, Waist gunner: John Lyons (4 Killed in Action); Ball turret gunner: Harry Tilbury (evaded capture); enemy aircraft, crashed near Moëlan sur Mer, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 15555.

Delivered Cheyenne 8/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 12/5/43; Wendover 18/5/43; Kearney 22/5/43; Dow Fd 27/5/43; Assigned 349BS/100BG [XR-E] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; severe battle damage over Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Sumner Reeder, Navigator: Russ EngelWounded in Action, Bombardier: Peter F. Delao, Jr. [wia], rest unknown; Co-pilot: Harry Edebuon (Killed in Action); but limped back to base Missing Air Crew Report 99906; again suffered heavy damage 5/11/43 Gelsenkirchen with Bill Flesh & cp John Gosasage (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Omar Gonzales, Bombardier: Jim Lux, Ball turret gunner: Francis Dolsen, Waist gunner: George Gineikis,Tail gunner: Jim Marasco (5 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Connor Brewster (KIA-chute failed); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Pope, Leon McDonald (2 evaded capture); while ship landed RAF Tangmere, Sussex; Missing Air Crew Report 15552; Returned to the USA 17/5/44; Hendricks 8/6/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 13/12/45. First aircraft in group to 50 missions. SQUAWKIN’ HAWK II.