B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-102394 / Down N’ Go

History of
B-17 42-102394 / Down N’ Go

Delivered Cheyenne 27/2/44; Kearney 15/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-C] Deenethorpe 16/4/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 24/8/44 with Parker Finney, Co-pilot: Virgil Price, Navigator: Dale Scott, tog-Brown Bralley, Waist gunner: Burton Miller,Tail gunner: Bill Duling (6 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Woodrow Snyder, Radio Operator: Ed Smith, Ball turret gunner: Golden Hill (3 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft damaged ship before exploding, crashed Brockhofe, NE of Fassberg Afd, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 8202. DOWN ‘N GO.

Last updated: 8. January 2020

B-17 42-102394 / Down N’ Go Details

From pilot’s (Parker Finney) records: “On August 24, 1944, I was about ten minutes from the I.P. when we were jumped by 32 Fock-Wulfe fighters. They attacked from the rear in groups of three and damaged us heavily in mid-ship. My tail gunner, Sgt Duling, did advise me later on the ground that he had destroyed at least one of the Fock-Wulfes that blew up as it was approaching his tail. This was later confirmed for me by a fellow member of the 614th Bomb Squadron who was shot down months later and advised me that he had watched me go down and had seen the destruction of the one aircraft.”

via http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/1445

B-17 42-102394 / Down N’ Go Crew