B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 41-24565 / Rambling Wreck aka Idaho Potato Peeler

History of
B-17 41-24565 / Rambling Wreck aka Idaho Potato Peeler

Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-P] Bangor 9/10/42; Molesworth 25/10/42; force landed RAF Chipping Warden 23/1/43 with Ross Bates, 10RTD; Missing in Action 28m Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 with Ambrose Grant, Co-pilot: Frank Hall, Navigator: Jim Berger, Bombardier: Marion Blackburn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Tony Kujawa, Radio Operator: Ed Sexton, Ball turret gunner: Chester Petrosky, Waist gunner: Harry Kraft,Tail gunner: Francis Andersen (9 Prisoner of War), Waist gunner: Joe Hauer (Killed in Action); flak hit crashed Wouw, four miles W of Roosendal, Holl. Missing Air Crew Report 1157. THE RAMBLIN’ WRECK aka IDAHO POTATO PEELER.

Last updated: 18. July 2021

B-17 41-24565 / Rambling Wreck aka Idaho Potato Peeler Details

My last contact with Sgt. Hauer was just prior to my bailing out, Due to the fact that the emergency release failed to function properly on the escape hatch in the tail, my position, I was forced to go to the waist in order to bail out. The entire Crew had already bailed out with the exception of Sgt. Hauer and Petrosky, who were at the waist door trying to get out by holding the door open against the slipstream. This door also would not drop off due to damage to the emergency release by enemy action. I advised the two of them to leave the door and go cut the waist windows but they continued struggling with the door. At this time Sgt. Hauer acted calm enough under the circumstances. He had bend wounded by flak over the target area but said he was 0.K. I left the two of them at the door and bailed out of the right waist window. Later S/Sgt Petrosky informed me that after seeing me go out of the window, he then went to one window and Sgt. Hauer went to the other to bail out. I only saw one parachute open after me which was S/Sgt. Petrosky who landed and was captured in the same vicinity as myself. I have never seen Sgt. Hauer again.

Source: MACR 1157

T/Sgt. Robert F. Jaouen was not part of Lt. Ambrose G. Grant Crew on 05 November 1943.

B-17 41-24565 / Rambling Wreck aka Idaho Potato Peeler Crew