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

Delivered Cheyenne 10/8/44; Kearney 21/8/44; Grenier 7/9/44; Assigned 546th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group, Squadron Code BK-C, Grafton Underwood on 23 September 1944; Missing in Action on a mission to Pilsen, Czecho. on 25 April 1945 with Andrew Gordon Lovett, Stanley Frank Kloss, Milton J. Haney (3 evaded capture); Donald John Unger, Conrad W. Brown, Louis V. Froelinger, Robert j. Blasé, Walter Arthur Carney (5 Prisoner of War); shot down by flak, crashed near Pilsen, CZ. Missing Air Crew Report 14317. SWEET CHARIOT.

Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-C] Bangor 31/8/42; Bassingbourn 26/9/42; JACK THE RIPPER. Missing in Action 27+m Oschersleben 22/2/44 with Jim Considine, Co-pilot: Norman Stuckey, Bombardier: Jack Remers, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Melvin Washburn, Radio Operator: Jim Naughton, Ball turret gunner: John Dias, Waist gunner: John Stipewia & broke leg on landing, Waist gunner: Don Day,Tail gunner: Vernon Pochardt (Wounded in Action) (9 Prisoner of War); Navigator: Henry Schaub (KIA-chute failed to open); two Me 109s KO’d #2, dropped back aiming for cloud cover but more enemy aircraft KO’d two more engines, crashed Gremmendorf, near Albersloh, SE of Munster, Germany; Missing Air Crew Report 2640. (last original aircraft lost).

Delivered Dallas 14/7/44; Langley 17/8/44; Grenier 14/9/44; Assigned 95BG PFF Horham 25/9/44; 1m, transferred 350BS/100BG [LN-B] Thorpe Abbotts 26/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 2/7/45; with Rich Voight to Tulsa, OK, 5/7/45; Independence 24/8/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 21/12/45. JUMBO.

Delivered Cheyenne 31/7/44; Hunter 8/8/44; Grenier 30/8/44; Assigned 482BG Alconbury 2/9/44; transferred 350BS/100BG [LN-Y] Thorpe Abbotts 2/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 2/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 6/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 18/11/45. “HEAVEN SENT.”

Delivered Cheyenne 25/5/44; Kearney 5/6/44; Dow Fd 27/6/44; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-L] Thorpe Abbotts 28/6/44; 75+ missions, transferred 482BG Alconbury 20/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 2/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 28/11/45. YOU CAN’T LOSE.

ASR aircraft with red tailplane and wing panels.

Converted to B-17H Air Sea Rescue ship.

The fate of this B-17 Flying Fortress is unknown.

Delivered Cheyenne 10/5/45; Hunter 6/6/45; Grenier 22/6/45; 1377 BU Westover 24/11/46; re-ass 31/3/47; 1100 BU Topeka 20/5/47; 4119 BU Brookley 21/5/47; Recl Comp 14/9/48.

Delivered Tulsa 16/3/44; Kearney 29/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 331BS/94BG [QE-V] Rougham 8/4/44; Missing in Action Berlin 6/8/44 with Orville Spenst, Co-pilot: Larry Metzroth, Navigator: Ed Pacek, Bombardier: Ira Dodd, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Brown, Radio Operator: Forest Crosman, Ball turret gunner: Jim Theiss, Waist gunner: Bob Hurd (8POW-rescued by German Sea patrol);Tail gunner: Frank Trilling (KIA-drowned); flak damage and three engines out, ditched North Sea, off Frisian Islands. Missing Air Crew Report 8075.