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

Delivered Long Beach 5/10/43; Gr Island 31/10/43; ass 535BS/381BG [MS-X] Ridgewell 20/12/43; {9m} after a training mission 15/4/44 was taxying on base, pilot cut #1 and #2, fire crews arrived but ship burst into flames on #1 and #2 engines and wing; Pilot: Bill Bartlett, Co-Pilot: Lyles Nelson, n/Bob Hughes, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Rex Hintz, Radio Operator: Howard Prowse (5RTD); sal 2 SAD Watton, Nfk 17/4/44. SQUAT ‘N DROPPIT.

Delivered Tulsa 20/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-J] Framlingham 8/4/44; Missing in Action French A/fds (Dinar-Pleurtvit) (19m) 11/6/44 with Bill Gavin, Co-pilot: John Dallenbach, Navigator: Norm Bernstein, Bombardier: Paul Cermack, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Spiker, Radio Operator: Joao Macedo, Ball turret gunner: Tom Fleming, Waist gunner: Roy Ruth, Waist gunner: Lisle Hole,Tail gunner: Julio Vega (10 Killed in Action); flak, crashed in sea near Channel Isles; Missing Air Crew Report 5629. POWERFUL KATRINKA.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/4/44; Hunter 27/4/44; Grenier 11/5/44; Assigned 340BS/97BG Amendola 28/5/44; Missing in Action Vienna 7/2/45 with John Bauer, Kellogg, McKenzie, Eniford, Baum, Parker, Richards, Bierzinn, Caulk, Granger; mech fault, crashed Pettau; Missing Air Crew Report 12141.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/8/44; Hunter 23/5/44; Grenier 4/9/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-G] Molesworth 28/10/44; Missing in Action Sterkrade 22/1/45 with Bill Woodson, Russell Finn, Ray Cooper, Vic Gramiak, R.L. Burnette, Lloyd Riley, Pete Farrell (7 Killed in Action); Harry Lanigan, Dick Brown (2 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Sterkrade, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 11758.

Delivered: Cheyenne 17/5/44; Kearney 29/5/44; Grenier 17/6/44; Assigned: 731BS/452BG Deopham Green 19/6/44; MIA Hamburg 17/1/45 Pilot: Ed Betts, Jim Curren, Norman Hartsong, Donovan Grivatti, Dale Zimmerman, Howard Langlois, Frank Solex, Lee Chandler, Cecil Crumley (9INT); flak, forced landing Kalamar, Sweden. MACR 11729. Returned to US: Bradley 1/8/45; 4185 BU Independence 3/8/45; Scrapped: Kingman 7/10/46. LACKA SHACKEY.

Delivered Denver 16/4/43; Dow Fd 4/6/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-N] Horham 15/6/43; force landed RAF Filton with W.A. Baker 4/7/43; 5m, Missing in Action Hannover 26/7/43 with Stan Foutz, Co-pilot: Elden Jenkins (body washed up near Tonning, Ger}, Navigator: Jim Dodson, Bombardier: Dave Bail, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Vollie Dickson, Radio Operator: Dick Sandberg, Ball turret gunner: Fred Zapatka, Waist gunner: Don Mock, Waist gunner: Frank Marthal,Tail gunner: Ivan Lewis (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft and flak KO’d two engines, crashed Bremen, west of River Elbe; Missing Air Crew Report 193.

Delivered Cheyenne 11/7/44; Hunter 20/7/44; Grenier 1/8/44; Assigned 861BS/493BG Debach 3/8/44; 8612BS; Missing in Action Merseburg 25/11/44 with John Miller, Chas Steindorf, Dan Zimmerman, Bob Karlson, Luther Hackman, Bill Ford, Bill Burns (7 Killed in Action); Jose Gonzales, Harry Kellermeyer (2 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Merseburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 10769. PROUD PAPPY. [Project No. 9471-R ? (See MACR)]

Delivered Geiger 22/12/41; Assigned 93BS/19BG Java 11/2/42 with Boron; with J.E. Hensler strafed Jackson Fd, Port Moresby while taxying 25/12/41, repaired and became hack for Lt Gen Krueger 6th Army, called BILLY, then Written off in New Guinea 3/6/45.

Delivered MacDill 25/12/41; Assigned 7BG Java 31/1/42 with Rouse, then 28BS-30BS/19BG Hickam; Returned to the USA Hamilton 19/11/42; Pocatello 28/11/42; Oklahoma City 12/12/42; Pyote 19/1/43 where involved in taxi accident 19/2/43 with Elmer Nardi; force landed Lockbourn with Ewart Hooper 9/9/43; damaged again Lockbourn 26/11/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 9/10/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/5/43; Smoky Hill 29/5/43; Morrison 9/6/43; Assigned 419BS/301BG St Donat 12/6/43; Oudna 6/8/43; Cerignola 7/12/43; Lucera 1/2/44; Missing in Action 31m Regensburg 25/2/44 with Chester Koch, Loy Allen, Ralph Nyren, Paul Parent, (?Watson?), Matt Sheils, Rudolph Wild, Dwight Kimberlin, Jim Montecallo (9? Prisoner of War); Warren Johnson (Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Seebach; Missing Air Crew Report 2597.