B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-3111 / The Brass Rail aka Local Girl

Delivered Cheyenne 16/2/43; Gore Fd 7/3/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-T] Alconbury 5/43; THE BRASS RAIL 6 missions. Transferred 324BS/91 [DF-A1] Bassingbourn 16/6/43; Missing in Action on its 8th mission, target Emden, on 27/9/43 with Bill Pegram, Navigator: Bob Cosgrove & Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Vernon Larson (drowned when chute cords tangled in fishing aids), Waist gunner: Melvin Peters who fired till the end (4 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Bill Martin, Bombardier: Norman Eatinger (saved by Dutch fishermen), Radio Operator: Orlo Natvig, Ball turret gunner: Paul Ayala, Waist gunner: Fred Hutchinson, Tail gunner: Gordon Noel (6 Prisoner of War); Me 109s set #2 ablaze, pilot held controls while crew bailed over Geefsweer, near Delfzijl, Holland. Missing Air Crew Report 667. LOCAL GIRL.