B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-5909

Delivered Long Beach 30/4/43; Smoky Hill 6/5/43; Dow Fd 3/6/43; Assigned 813BS/482BG with H2S radar scanner, [PC-N] Alconbury 26/6/43; Missing in Action Frankfurt 4/2/44 with Com. P-Major Lloyd Sheppard (447BG), c-Capt Lyman Collins, Co-pilot: Jerome Peyser, Navigator: Capt Earl Ellis, Navigator: Bill Hoffman (447BG), Bombardier: Fred Bell, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Trauman, Radio Operator: Art Lombardo, Ball turret gunner: Gene Baillie, Waist gunner: Bob Barnes, Waist gunner: Bill Altekruse (11 Killed in Action);Tail gunner: Lt Bill Kalman (Prisoner of War). Flak hit exploded ship in mid-air, crashed Gleuel-Bachem, eight miles SW of Cologne, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 3361 & 2511.