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

Delivered Tulsa 18/3/44; Kearney 29/3/44; Dow Fd 6/4/44; Assigned: 339BS/96BG [QJ-M] Snetterton 11/4/44; MIA Brux 12/5/44 Pilot: Bob Simons, Co-Pilot: Horace Duncan, Navigator: Garnett Nelson, Bombardier: Jack Russell, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Harland Paul, Radio Operator: Walt Keshal, Ball Turret Gunner: Joe Petrosky, Waist Gunner: Tony Russo, Waist Gunner: Ralph Good (9KIA); Tail Gunner: John Wethor (POW); Enemy aircraft killed both pilots in first pass, crashed Hof Gnadental near Dauborn, six miles SE of Limburg, Germany. MACR 4864. 7TH SON.

Delivered Long Beach Assigned 324BS/91BG [DF-Y] Bassingbourn 7/10/43; 16m Missing in Action Frankfurt 4/2/44 with Fewer McGee, Co-pilot: Max Sweyer, Navigator: Don Vandervelden, Bombardier: Ed Bauer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Graham, Ball turret gunner: Tom McMenamin, Waist gunner: Frank Kashock,Tail gunner: Rich Bodine (8 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Walt Getsey, Waist gunner: Cliff Kirkpatrick (2 Killed in Action); heavy flak barrage, crashed Sevelen, near Geldern 13 miles NW of Krefeld, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2235. THE WOLF.

Delivered Hunter 8/8/44; Grenier 2/9/44; Assigned 863BS/493BG Debach 4/9/44; battle damaged Derben, Ger 14/1/45 with Ralph Terry, Bob Preis, Russell Hoth, John Merrill, Paul Butler, Dan Love, Fernado Acosta, Dale Sheetz, Russ Cogan (9INT); mech fault, force landed Bulltofta, Sweden; Missing Air Crew Report 11800; repaired & returned to group 30/6/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 1/8/45; Independence 3/8/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 22/12/45. PAIR-A-DICE KIDS.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/4/43; Smoky Hill 22/4/43; Morrison 5/5/43; Warner Robins 10/5/43; Morrison 18/5/43; Assigned 346BS/99BG Navarin 14/6/43; Oudna 4/8/43; Tortorella 11/12/43; Missing in Action Foggia 22/7/43 with Frank Hunter, Dickell, Andrews, Creadon, Morris, Ishum, Smith (8 Killed in Action); Titus, Walker (2 Prisoner of War). Missing Air Crew Report 414. HUNTER’S ANSWER.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; slated 385BG, Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-D] Snetterton 22/4/44; Missing in Action Karlsruhe 27/5/44 with Chas Irving, Bombardier: John Flanyak, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Paul Zalaker, Radio Operator: Jim Campbell, Waist gunner: Paul Nadeau,Tail gunner: George McCully (6 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Lou Pastore, Navigator: Ed Montgomery, Ball turret gunner: John Borneo, Waist gunner: Walt Froehlich (4 Prisoner of War); mid-air coll with 42-102475 (96BG), snapped in half; crashed Woessingen, nine miles E of Karlsruhe, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 5164.

Delivered Cheyenne 7/3/44; Hunter 9/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 338BS/96BG [BX-J ] Snetterton 1/5/44; Missing in Action Karlsruhe 27/5/44 with Wilbur Brean, Navigator: Bob Egan, Bombardier: John Ellender, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Albt Fancea, Radio Operator: Glen Galbreath, Ball turret gunner: Marion Mangum,Tail gunner: Gene Fava (7 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Bill Hill, Waist gunner: Bill Brinley, Waist gunner: Jack Dark (3 Prisoner of War); mid air coll with 42-102561 (96BG), broke in half; crashed a mile N of Stein, near Pforzheim, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 5162.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/2/44; Rapid City 4/3/44; Gr Island 19/4/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 25/4/44; no ops, transferred 367BS/306BG [GY-K] Thurleigh 12/5/44; Missing in Action Ruhland 12/9/44 with Chas Wagener, Co-pilot: Bill Griffin, Navigator: Don Marsh, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Stroyoff(4 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Bill Sewart, Radio Operator: Jack Krahn, Ball turret gunner: John Eden, Waist gunner: Bill Gardiner,Tail gunner: Henry Rodgers (5 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Uedersee, near Eberswalde, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 8833. UMBRIAGO.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/6/44; Kearney 25/6/44; Dow Fd 13/7/44; Assigned 837BS/487BG [4F-M] Lavenham 14/7/44; battle damaged Brandenburg 10/4/45 with ?; force landed continent, Salvaged.

Delivered Tulsa 27/2/44; Hunter 4/3/44; Homestead 8/3/44; Assigned 20BS/2BG Amendola 17/3/44; Missing in Action (62m) Moravska Ostrova 29/8/44 with Bill Garland, Co-pilot: Leo Zupan, Navigator: Albt Novak, Bombardier: Bill Hayett, Radio Operator: Chas Griffin, Ball turret gunner: Jesse Barker, Waist gunner: Ralph DeWitt, Waist gunner: Bob Hoadley (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Irving Katz, Waist gunner: Russ Payne (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, #1 on fire and supercharger went out on #2, while attacks ko’d #3; crashed Fritschendorf, Austria ?; Missing Air Crew Report 7987. SNAFUPERMAN.

Delivered Cheyenne 6/12/43; Savannah 30/12/43; Assigned 416BS/99BG Tortorella 1/44; {19m} transferred 96BS/2BG Amendola 28/3/44; {63m} Returned to the USA 2137 BU Hendricks 22/9/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 9/1/46. JUANITA.