Production-block:
B-17G-30-BO 42-31732 to 42-31931
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 92nd Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 327th Bomb Squadron
- 407th Bomb Squadron
- RCL: PY-R, UX-B
MACR: 8213 / KSU/ME/KU: 2795
History of
B-17 42-31771
Delivered Cheyenne 12/12/43; Gr Island 23/12/43; Grenier 16/1/44; Assigned 407BS/92BG [PY-R] Podington 28/1/44; Missing in Action – shot down by enemy aircraft on the 24 August 1944 mission to Merseburg. Exploded and crashed near Lindenthal, NW of Leipzig, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 8213.
Last updated: 19. April 2020
B-17 42-31771 Details
This plane that was hit (771) was flying in the high group and was flying about off our left wing and high and the ME 109 came up from his tail and leveled off and then the B-17’s started on fire and winged over to the right, went down under our left wing and then it blew up. Then I saw one chute open up.
Billy Anderson
S/Sgt, Waist Gunner
In MACR 8213/KU 2795 the name John S. Gullei or Gullet is listed. But no further information like dogtags or serialnumber. He possibly was an unauthorisied passenger.
Unit marking UX-B is mentioned in the German KU-Report 2795
B-17 42-31771 Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 2LT | Steve Nagy | KIA | - |
| CP | 2LT | John F. McTigue | KIA | - |
| NAV | 2LT | John S. Ketzner | POW | - |
| BOMB | 2LT | Daniel P. Giove | KIA | - |
| ENG/TT | S/SGT | Willard R, Best | KIA | - |
| RO | SGT | George Maynard De Mott | POW | - |
| BT | SGT | Wilbur A. Wulfeck | KIA | - |
| WG | SGT | Francesco G. Iadevaia | POW | - |
| TG | SGT | Peter Sebastian Cimino, Jr. | POW | - |
15. August 2020 access_time 16:29
Thank you for this. My grandfather Frank Iadevaia said (when we showed him the MACR) that he never remembered there being a John Gullei on the plane. He also said he had to man both waist guns that day and that the plane was probably hit by one of the new German rocket-propelled planes. He also said he only got one rung of his chute on before he passed out as the plane exploded and he “came to” floating down. He ended up with a dislocated shoulder and was approached by German farmers with pitchforks before taken prisoner.
15. August 2020 access_time 18:53
Hello Jason, thank you for sharing your grandfathers story. I couldn’t find anything about John S. Gullei. It is also possible, that he was a civilian on ground and killed by wreckage of this aircraft.
09. June 2021 access_time 3:01
My uncle was 2nd Lt John McTigue. He was never recovered after the war. In 2019 his remains, and the remains of Lt. Nagy, and sgt Wulfeck were identified. My Uncle was returned and buried with family in Queens N.Y