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Source:
www.306bg.us
Production-block:
B-17F-10-BO: 41-24440 to 41-24489
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 305th Bomb Group
- 306th Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 368th Bomb Squadron
- 422nd Bomb Squadron
MACR: 15525
History of
B-17 41-24467 / Grim Reaper
Delivered Ogden 21/7/42; force landed Hill Fd, Ut 19/8/42 with Ralph Dissaro; damaged at Cheyenne airport with Warren Dean 7/9/42 when brakes failed and it struck a passenger DC-3 owned by Utd Air Lines, rep; Assigned 422BS/305BG Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; Chelveston 6/12/42; transferred 368BS/306BG Thurleigh 20/1/43; Missing in Action Bremen 17/4/43 with Glen Lally, Co-pilot: Ben Hopkins, Navigator: Frank Ross, togg-Jim Curry, Radio Operator: Gene Lanning, Ball turret gunner: Alvin Johnson, Waist gunner: Leo Gallegos,Tail gunner: Bob McCeage (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jesse Downard, Waist gunner: Leno Off {chute failure} (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft caused severe fire & damage, crashed Aurich, near Wilhelmshaven, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 15525. THE GRIM REAPER.
Last updated: 5. January 2019
18. January 2022 access_time 4:30
I am the youngest son of waist gunner Leo Gallegos, who, incidentally, was Leno Off’s cousin; and, was with him in their B-17F a/c, named the “Grim Reaper”, plane# 41-24467, when it was shot down, 17.04.1943, captured, and, eventually, sent to Stalag XVII-B. When they were shot down, my dad was blessed that he didn’t know that he was descended from Inquisition Jews.
I have only just (last night) discovered some more circumstances about my father, his trip over Bremen, and, his stay in XVII-B. My dad weighed just over 290 lbs (131.5 kg), the day he was shot down over Bremen, on that fateful day. When he was liberated, he weighed somewhere around 80 lbs (just about 37.6 kg). That weight loss was just over ⅔rds of his body weight, 193.4 lbs (75.2 kg). He never gained more than 123 lbs (55.8 kg).
For many years, Dad was very silent about his internment. He later, joined the AXPOW, and, the sub-group named “Stalag XVII-B”. Like so many of his fellow XVII-B’ers, he dwelled, a lot, on his treatsendment, there.
The ONLY things that I have a problem with is the deaths of some of my grandfather’s family died at Babi Yar. I pray, every night, for the forgiveness of those responsible. I, too, have let go of my anger, and, am at peace, now. ALL things are always to be left in the hands of our God. Micah David.