42-29553 / Arkie II | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress

Produktionsblock:
B-17F-60-BO: 42-29532 bis 42-29631

Hersteller:
Boeing

Bomber-Gruppe:
305th Bomb Group

Bomber-Staffel:
366th Bomb Squadron

RCL: KY-D

Schicksal:

MACR: 252

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Geschichte der
B-17 42-29553 / Arkie II

Delivered Denver 3/1/43; Salina 9/1/43; Homestead 18/2/43; Assigned 366BS/305BG [KY-D] Chelveston 4/3/43; Missing in Action Gelsenkirchen 12/8/43 with Wright Gerke, Co-pilot: Tom Reade, Navigator: Joe Costa, Bombardier: Jack Little, Ball turret gunner: Ed Keesling, Waist gunner: Joe Rowlison, Waist gunner: Herb Kalwa,Tail gunner: Joe Hall (8 Killed in Action); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Fullerton, Radio Operator: Jim Chalker (2 Prisoner of War); flak & enemy aircraft, crashed near Munchen-Gladbach, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 252. ARKIE II.

Quelle: The B-17 Flying Fortress Story (Affiliate-Link)

Zuletzt aktualisiert: 19. Juni 2021

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B-17 42-29553 / Arkie II Details

Von der Flak aus der Formation heraus geschossen und danach direkt von feindlichen Jägern angegriffen. Es wurde gesehen wird es brennend abstürzte, jedoch unter Kontrolle.

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B-17 42-29553 / Arkie II Crew

Position	Rang	Name	Status	Bemerkung
P	2LT	Wright E. Gerke	KIA	-
CP	2LT	Thomas Read	KIA	-
NAV	2LT	Joseph S. Costa	KIA	-
BOMB	2LT	Jack J. Little	KIA	-
ENG/TT	T/SGT	Harry L. Fullerton	POW	-
RO	S/SGT	James L. Chalker, Jr.	POW	-
BT	S/SGT	Edward F. Keesling	KIA	-
WG	SGT	Joe W. Rowlison	KIA	-
WG	S/SGT	Herbert A. Kalwa	KIA	-
TG	S/SGT	Joseph J. Hall	KIA	-

Wayne MacDowell
26. April 2019 22:30

B-17 42-29553 was my uncle-godfather’s plane…ARKIE II. 1st Lt Wright Ellis Gerke – Pilot. He is buried in The Netherlands-American Military Cemetery in Margroten, Netherlands…Holland Plot O Row 6 Grave 6. I have visited his grave from the USA 23 times to date. In his last letter, mailed that fateful morning of August 12th 1943…he told of how proud he was to have just become a Daddy.

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