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

Delivered Cheyenne 11/2/43; Rapid City 22/2/43; Kearney 12/3/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-G] Grafton Underwood 14/4/43; Andrews Fd 13/5/43; transferred 412BS/95BG [QW-R] force landed Alconbury after sustaining NBD with Don Eastling 19/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; 4m, transferred 323BS/91BG [OR-P] Bassingbourn 12/9/43; 1st with 91BG Missing in Action Anklam 9/10/43 with Morris Gutto, Navigator: Edgar Richardson, Bombardier: Alva Allen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Crain, Waist gunner: Merle Hilgert (5 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Chas Loeber, Radio Operator: Herschel Kelley, Ball turret gunner: John Delaney, Waist gunner: John Bird,Tail gunner: Chas Alishouse (5 Killed in Action); hit by enemy aircraft rocket attacks, crashed Dorpumfeld, near Tolk, 17 miles W of Flensburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 896.

Delivered Denver 20/12/42; Salina 30/12/42; West Palm Beach 4/1/43; Assigned 340BS/97BG 5/4/43; MIA 16/7/43 with Jacob Schell, hit by flak over Villa San Giovanni; 10 RSC.

Delivered Cheyenne Mod Cen 24/6/42; originally slated RAF as [FA685] ; Assigned 92BG Bovingdon /6/42 as PALE FACE; 342BS/97BG Polebrook /8/42; Maison Blanche 20/11/42; {103m}, the first MTO B-17 to complete 100 missions, including participation on first night mission to Rouen, Fr.; Returned to the USA Eglin 12/10/43; was due to return to Boeing but shot down as a drone before paperwork completed. BERLIN SLEEPER II.

Delivered Dallas 10/6/43; Smoky Hill 11/7/43; Dow Fd 15/7/43; Assigned: 94BG Rougham 18/7/43 DOUBLE DOO; Transferred: 339BS/96BG [QJ- ] Snetterton 8/43; MIA Paris 15/9/43 Pilot: Cecil Reed, Co-Pilot: Larry Carner, Navigator: Floyd Clay, Bombardier: Dick Larkin, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Harry Harty, Ball Turret Gunner: Howard Wampler, Waist Gunner: Tom Badger, Waist Gunner: Bob McLeod, Tail Gunner: Paul Saireman (9KIA); Radio Operator: Edgar Smith (POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed Paris; MACR 727.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/2/44; Kearney 27/2/44; Presque Is 11/3/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 22/4/44; transferred 334BS/95BG [BG-H] Horham 28/4/44; 23m Missing in Action Berlin 19/5/44 with Capt Bill Waltman, Co-pilot: Wayne McCallon, Navigator: Henry Robertson, Bombardier: Jim Fournier, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dale Gossman, Radio Operator: Harry Myers, Ball turret gunner: Russ Brainard, Waist gunner: Jim Coppage, Waist gunner: Winfred Wright,Tail gunner: Albt Faust (10INT); suffered battle damage and crash landed Akesholm, Sweden. Missing Air Crew Report 4928. SMILIN’ SANDY SANCHEZ. (Named after a so called tail gunner.)

Delivered Cheyenne 12/11/43; Kearney 3/12/43; Presque Is 13/12/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-J] Ridgewell 13/1/44; {1+m} Missing in Action Berlin 24/5/44 with Clarry Ezzell, Co-pilot: John Nymyer, Navigator: Ed Adams, Bombardier: Bill Wilson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Wesley Peck, Radio Operator: Lou Baker, Waist gunner: Lloyd Harvey (7 Prisoner of War); Ball turret gunner: Harm Beninga,Tail gunner: Carl Schaaf (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft KOd #1, then ship exploded and crashed between Melchow and Biesenthal, 18 miles N of Berlin; Missing Air Crew Report 5176. (?5178?)

Delivered Cheyenne 17/4/44; Hunter 29/4/44; Grenier 11/5/44; Assigned 774BS/463BG Celone 17/5/44; Missing in Action Munich 8/7/44 with Alfred Bodine, Co-pilot: Robert Bogard, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harold Agona, Waist gunner: James Barnett, Waist gunner: Abraham Adamsky (5 KIA), Navigator: Vernon Hill, Bombardier: Ebe Atkins, Radio Operator: Salvatore Cestaro, Ball turret gunner: William Barley, Tail gunner: Robert Adams (5 POW); flak, crashed Siebenhirten, south of Vienna, Austria; Missing Air Crew Report 7320.

Delivered Hunter 21/7/44; Presque Is 4/8/44; Assigned 348BS/99BG Tortorella 13/8/44; {68m} Returned to the USA Bradley 18/6/45; Sth Plains 21/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 17/12/45. FUDDYHUCKLE.

Delivered Cheyenne 19/3/44; Hunter 9/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned 338BS/96BG Snetterton 1/5/55; transferred 337BS [AW-B]; destroyed by enemy aircraft at Poltava with Ken Bope 21/6/44; Salvaged 1/7/44. ALL AMERICAN GIRL.

Delivered Denver 20/1/44; Amarillo 2/2/44; MacDill 5/2/44; Morrison 8/3/44; Assigned 816BS/483BG Tortorella 11/3/44; transferred 348BS/99BG Tortorella 31/3/44; {94m} Returned to the USA 1103 BU Morrison 3/4/45; 4104 BU Rome 2/7/45; Recl Comp 13/11/45. LUSCIOUS LOUISE.