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

Delivered Cheyenne 29/6/44; Kearney 11/7/44; Grenier 16/7/44; Assigned 832BS/486BG [3R-S] Sudbury 17/7/44; {16m} Missing in Action Merseburg 2/11/44 with Albt Pierce, Corbin Willis, Bob Lansche, Howard Butler, Ken Mulllen (5 Prisoner of War); Neil Hampton, Albt Siudeikis, Chas Warren, Steve Nemes (4 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Erkrath, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 10167.

Delivered Denver 29/1/43; Salina 3/2/43; Homestead 19/2/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-H] Chelveston 2/3/43; Missing in Action Lorient 17/5/43 with Don Tuttle, Co-pilot: Jim Aubele, Navigator: Chas Spear, Radio Operator: John Gardner,Tail gunner: Ed Seabourn, photo-Ralph Greenfield (6 Prisoner of War); Bombardier: Carl Tisone{body never found}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Danny Gruhike, Waist gunner: Alex Schaeffer, Waist gunner: John Lyons (4 Killed in Action); Ball turret gunner: Harry Tilbury (evaded capture); enemy aircraft, crashed near Moëlan sur Mer, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 15555.

Delivered Cheyenne 8/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 12/5/43; Wendover 18/5/43; Kearney 22/5/43; Dow Fd 27/5/43; Assigned 349BS/100BG [XR-E] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; severe battle damage over Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Sumner Reeder, Navigator: Russ EngelWounded in Action, Bombardier: Peter F. Delao, Jr. [wia], rest unknown; Co-pilot: Harry Edebuon (Killed in Action); but limped back to base Missing Air Crew Report 99906; again suffered heavy damage 5/11/43 Gelsenkirchen with Bill Flesh & cp John Gosasage (2 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Omar Gonzales, Bombardier: Jim Lux, Ball turret gunner: Francis Dolsen, Waist gunner: George Gineikis,Tail gunner: Jim Marasco (5 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Connor Brewster (KIA-chute failed); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Pope, Leon McDonald (2 evaded capture); while ship landed RAF Tangmere, Sussex; Missing Air Crew Report 15552; Returned to the USA 17/5/44; Hendricks 8/6/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 13/12/45. First aircraft in group to 50 missions. SQUAWKIN’ HAWK II.

Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Gr Island 18/3/44; Presque Is 5/4/44; Assigned 325BS/92BG [NV-G ] Podington 14/4/44; Missing in Action Cologne 10/1/45 with George O’Halloran or Robert C. Hirsh?, rest?; force landed Sint-Hadelin-Olne, east of Liege, Bel.; Salvaged 23/1/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 29/1/44; Alexandra 15/2/44; Presque Is 4/3/44; Assigned: 457BG Glatton 6/3/44; Transferred: 384BG Grafton Underwood 12/3/44; 527BS/379BG [FO-M] Kimbolton 28/12/44; MIA Ingolstadt 5/4/45 Pilot: Joe Hourtal, Martin Kane (2KIA); Ed Robertson, Carlos Whitehead, Dick Rowan, John Roberts, Sam Reeves, Don Millar (6RTD); crashed Bellheim, Germany. SCREWBALL EXPRESS.

Delivered Cheyenne 16/10/44; Hunter 19/11/44; Dow Fd 28/12/44; Assigned 836BS/487BG [2G-E] Lavenham 2/1/45; Missing in Action Hof, Germany 8/4/45 with Leon Milner, Clem Swan, Ed Sherman, Elmer Schramm, Lt Tony Bamberg {tg} (5 Killed in Action); Irving Bellow, John Jackson, Bob Bullion, Lt Stan Wechsler {mission pilot) (4 Prisoner of War); aircraft received a direct flak hit near the right wing over the target about 1 minute after bombing. It went into a dive, fire spreading along the wing into the engines and exploded. Crashed NW of Hof, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 13742.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/2/44; Dalhart 2/3/44; Grenier 26/3/44; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-C] Molesworth 9/4/44; detailed Munich 16/7/44 with Walt Charney, Co-pilot: Jim Hickey, Navigator: Albt Taylor, Bombardier: Ray Tartaglia, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Turner, Radio Operator: Albt Foster, Ball turret gunner: Emil Kayrallah, Waist gunner: Bill Encinas,Tail gunner: Clarry Howe (9RTD to UK); aircraft damaged in target area and flew to friendly afd in Italy and transferred 15AF Galera, 16/7/44; re-ass 301BG Lucera 14/3/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 16/6/44; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 7/12/45. AIN’T MISS BEA HAVEN.

Delivered Cheyenne 21/4/44; Hunter 2/5/44; Grenier 16/5/44; Assigned 414BS/97BG Amendola 24/5/44; Missing in Action Blechhammer 27/8/44 with Charles T. Wilson, Jr.; Missing Air Crew Report 8934. THE OLD LADY.

Delivered and assigned to Wright Field, Air Material Command as test aircraft. Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) (sold for scrap metal in USA) storage at Davis-Monthan 1-Aug-46. Never served in the UK

Delivered Cheyenne 15/4/43; Smoky Hill 24/4/43; Presque Is 16/5/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-J] Andrews Fd 25/5/43 ALIA BUBBLE TROUBLE; Snetterton 12/6/43 then 413BS; Missing in Action Ludwigshafen 7/1/44 with Roland Peterson, Co-pilot: Oscar Megginson, Navigator: Frank Painer, Bombardier: Morris Friedman, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Preston Hildebrand, Radio Operator: Cliff Busch, Ball turret gunner: Harry White, Waist gunner: Jerome Dudek (8 Killed in Action); Waist gunner: Bill Roberts,Tail gunner: Andy Wiess (2 Prisoner of War); flak set engine afire near Eindhoven, crashed Molenschot, between Breda & Tilburg, Hol. Missing Air Crew Report 2018. KLAP TRAP II.