Source:
photos.384thbombgroup.com
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Douglas |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-35-DL: 42-106984 to 42-107233 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 384th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 545th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | JD-P |
| MACR | 13114 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by flak/aa-fire (17 March 1945) |
| Missions: | 78 |
History of
B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel
Delivered Tulsa 6/3/44; Hunter 15/3/44; Dow Fd 8/4/44; Assigned: 545BS/384BG [JD-P] Grafton Underwood 29/4/44; MIA Bohlen 17/3/45 Pilot: Bill Schauer, Van McKay, Willis Gallop, Dan Frankel, Lamar Tumlin, Claude Shaffer, Francis Condon, Ken Stewart (8POW); Vernon Cooksey (KIA); flak, crashed in the vicinity of Oschatz, Germany. MACR 13114. DARK ANGEL.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel Details
According to MACR 13114, B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel was last seen over the English Channel on its return flight at about 5 p.m. (English time). It left the formation and flew towards the continent.
The note states the following:
A/C 7148 left the formation over the channel on return journey and was believed at the time to be headed for landing on the continent. However, nothing further had been heard of the A/C since it left the formation.
But the crews of #7148 stated that they bailed out near Oschatz, Germany – about 50 km east of Leipzig, 45 km northwest of Dresden at between 12:00 to 12:45. The aircraft also crashed near Oschatz.
Consequently, the B-17 which left formation at 17:00 on the return flight must be a different one.
However, B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel was the only B-17 of the 384th Bomb Group which did not return that day.
MACR 13114 (excerpts)
B-17 42-107148 / Dark Angel Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1LT | William Carl Schauer | POW | - |
| CP | F/O | Van Robert McKay | POW | - |
| NAV | 2LT | Willis Hodges Gallon | POW | - |
| ENG/TT | SGT | Lamar Tumlin | POW | - |
| RO | SGT | Vernon Edward Cooksey | KIA | - |
| BT | SGT | Claude G. Shaffer | POW | - |
| WG | SGT | Francis Raymond Condon | POW | - |
| TG | SGT | Kenneth Jack Stewart | POW | - |
| TOG | SGT | Daniel Frankel | POW | - |
This page was last updated on 17 October 2021
06. April 2025 access_time 15:51
My father was captain W H. Gallop 3d and was the navigator on that plane. I was lucky enough to have been told the entire story from that day and what happened next.
My father lived to be 86 years old and had a wonderful life. I have his US and POW dog tags still. They were the bravest of the brave.