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

Delivered Cheyenne 18/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned: 544BS/384BG [SU-T] Grafton Underwood 7/5/44; mechanical fault, Merkwille 3/8/44 Pilot: Frank Lavon Allred; Salvaged. 2 SAD 5/8/44.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/6/44; Kearney 25/6/44; Dow Fd 9/7/44; Assigned 838BS/487BG Lavenham 11/7/44; Missing in Action Derben, Ger 14/1/45 with Jim Moser, Conrad Summerlin, Paul Kenney, Mayo Larkin, Coy Flanery, Orlando Leo, Bob Ketcham, Kenneth Weisman, Hubert Sahlstrom (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Rhoden, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 11733. OUR BABY.

Delivered Burbank 2/7/43; Dallas 8/8/43; crashed 18/10/43 with Dick Creamer, on Stormy Peak, Pinetree Park, Col.; Written off 21/10/43.

Delivered Cheyenne 3/5/44; Hunter 18/5/44; Dow Fd 4/6/44; Assigned: 562BS/388BG Knettishall 9/6/44; MIA Stuttgart 5/9/44 Pilot: Ray Paaske, Garis Jacoby {died in captivity}, Tony Santos, Sam George, Henry Mays (5POW); Gene Sydlowski, Bill Baker, John Wells, Ernie Haygood, (4EVD); flak, crashed Rottweil, Germany. MACR 8454. MOONLIGHT SERENADE.

Delivered Denver 14/3/44; Kearney 13/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-R] Horham 20/4/44; with Glovik 7/10/44, Waist gunner: Chas Buda KIA; 97m, Missing in Action Frankfurt 9/3/45 with William Ourant, Co-pilot: Dwight King, Navigator: Elmer Miles, Bombardier: William Waskow, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Vic Johnson, Ball turret gunner: Don Norvet, Waist gunner: Andrew Demchak, Tail gunner: Art Billings, Dave Willoughby {voice int} (9 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: John Star KIA; crashed Weisel, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 12948.

Delivered Lincoln 9/10/44; Grenier 17/10/44; Assigned 748BS/457BG [D] Glatton 21/10/44; battle damaged Dresden 14/2/45 with Duane F. Southwood; force landed France; Salvaged 28/2/45. KRAUT KRUSHER.

Delivered Cheyenne 30/12/43; Savannah 16/1/44; Morrison 27/1/44; Assigned 419BS/301BG Lucera 1/2/44; Missing in Action first mission, Pontadera 14/2/44 with Harold Bond, Ralph Carlisle (2 Killed in Action), Co-pilot: James Runte, Navigator: Charles Miller, Bombardier: George Kulick, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Thomas Greenway {Wounded in Action}, Radio Operator: James Ratliff, Ball turret gunner: Thomas Jarman, Waist Gunner: Thomas Higgins, Waist Gunner: George Wegman; (8 Prisoners of War); rammed by enemy aircraft, crashed Foggia; Missing Air Crew Report 2303.

Delivered & Assigned US Navy Johnsville 12/7/45 as PB-1W {77235}; Assigned VX-4 Quonset Pt 5/47; Norfolk 4/50; transferred NAS 103 Quonset Pt 22/11/50; VX-4 Patuxent River 1/52; re-designated VW-2 18/6/52; Norfolk 6/53; VW-1 Atsugi, Japan 4/2/54; RetUS, Litchfield Pk 15/1/55; SO 10/7/56; AeroServ Corp, Phil 1/10/57, Civil N7227C; ACS Inc 29/12/61; Confederate AF Mercedes, Tx 22/9/67; restored as 533BS/381BG [VP-X], (based at Ridgewell, Essex, UK) at CAF Gulf Coast Wing, Spring, near Houston, Tex., performing at air shows as TEXAS RAIDERS. Mid-Air-Collision with P-63 on 12/11/2022.

Delivered Denver 25/5/43; Presque Is 2/8/43; Assigned 367BS/306BG [GY-G] Thurleigh 14/8/43; Missing in Action Osnabruck 22/12/43 with Jim Winter, Co-pilot: Bob Ashley, Bombardier: Ralph Pringle{chute caught on plane damage}, Radio Operator: Walt Rozanski, Ball turret gunner: John Olson, Waist gunner: Ray Wilson, Waist gunner: Henry Sall (7 Killed in Action), Navigator: Bob Jones, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dave Hovis,Tail gunner: Otis Thomas (3 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KO’d #1 & #2 and severely damaged wing, crashed Verwalde, near Venne, 10 miles NE of Osnabruck, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1716. PUNCHY.

Delivered Long Beach 28/9/43; Harvard 14/10/43; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 1/11/43; retUS Bradley 10/7/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 19/12/45.