
Source:
www.fold3.com
Production-block:
B-17F-75-BO: 42-29832 to 42-29931
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 379th Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 527th Bomb Squadron
- RCL: FO-Y/V
History of
B-17 42-29896 / Tondelayo
Delivered Cheyenne 5/3/43; Sioux City 20/3/43; Tinker 28/3/43; Kearney 8/4/43; Dow Fd 16/4/43. Assigned 527BS/379BG [FO-Y/V] Kimbolton 2/5/43. Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Bohn Fawkes, Co-pilot: Chas Mauldin, Navigator: Elmer Bendiner, Bombardier: Bob Hejny, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry Reedman, Radio Operator: Fred Reinhard, Ball turret gunner: Walt Gray, Waist gunner: John Leary, Waist gunner: Harry Edwards,Tail gunner: Mike Arooth (10 Returned to Duty); ditched Channel, all rescued by Air Sea Rescue launch HSL180 from Dover, Kent, UK. No MACR. TONDELAYO.
Last updated: 2. July 2019
B-17 42-29896 / Tondelayo Crew
Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
P | 2LT | Bohn E. Fawkes, Jr. | RTD | - |
CP | 2LT | Charles A. Mauldin | RTD | - |
NAV | 2LT | Elmer S. Bendiner | RTD | - |
BOMB | 2LT | Robert L. Hejny | RTD | - |
ENG/TT | T/SGT | Lawrence H. Reedman | RTD | - |
RO | T/SGT | Frederick J. Reinhard | RTD | - |
BT | T/SGT | Walter J. Gray | RTD | - |
WG | S/SGT | John A. Leary | RTD | - |
WG | S/SGT | Harry L. Edwards | RTD | - |
TG | T/SGT | Michael Arooth | RTD | - |
25. April 2019 access_time 0:57
Elmer Bendiner, the navigator, wrote an excellent personal account of his air war. Title is _Fall of Fortresses_. He actually does note the different ways B17’s fall and how likely the crew will be to get out.
18. March 2021 access_time 4:45
I was very fortunate to find it on this book on the sale table at Barnes & Noble 25 years ago. The high point of the book can be found excerpted elsewhere on the web–the incident of the empty German shells that pierced one of the B-17’s gas tanks without exploding. Inside one shell was a message in Czech: “This is all we can do for you now,” apparently from a forced laborer in a German munitions plant, doing what little he(she?) could for the war effort.
11. March 2023 access_time 13:42
Fortunate to have found Elmer Bendiner’s book recently,reàlly looking forward to reading another account of the Schweinfurt raids
02. July 2019 access_time 11:26
The correct spelling of the name is Bohn E. Fawkes, Jr.
02. July 2019 access_time 11:47
Thank you! I have corrected the name.