B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-40002 / Breezing Home

Delivered Long Beach 1/11/43; Cheyenne 16/11/43; Kearney 19/11/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-D] Deenethorpe 29/12/43. Involved in parking accident at Little Staughton on 1 January 1944. 42-40002 lost brake hydraulic pressure while taxiing and struck another parked B-17, 42-37928. Pilot of 42-40002 that day was Clyde A. Lewis; Co-pilot: Mitchell K. Woods; Navigator: William M. Eaton; Radio Operator: Clarence R. Miner; passenger : Donald W. Michael, (5 Returned to Duty). Missing in Action on the 19 June 1944 mission to the Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield. Pilot : William W. Trimble; Co-Pilot : Fred L. Shantz; Navigator : Beryl F. Lemke; Bombardier : Enver C. Cury; Engineer/Top Turret Gunner : Edward Tracey; Radio Operator : Jack Mackey; Ball Turret Gunner : John E. Schaffer; Left Wiast Gunner : Joseph P. Acker; Right Waist Gunner : Paul K. Courtad; Tail Gunner : William A. Armstrong (10 evaded capture). Flak KOd #2 & #4 and severed control cables. Crashed Le Pouyau, near Artiguillon, 4km South of Lesparre-Médoc, NW of Bordeaux, France. Missing Air Crew Report – MACR 6001.