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Source:
www.fold3.com
Production-block:
B-17F-80-BO: 42-29932 to 42-30031
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 381st Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 534th Bomb Squadron
- RCL: GD-F
MACR: 382
History of
B-17 42-29978 / Hell’s Angel
Delivered Denver 20/3/43; Pueblo 8/4/43; Smoky Hill 7/5/43; Dow Fd 24/5/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-F] Ridgewell 31/5/43 with Reinhardt King, Neil Wright, Ed McGlynn, Francis Petrillo, Cecil Fleura, Maynard Unger, Joe Lyons, Albt Pollard, Bob Dwyer, Julius Mann; Missing in Action 3m Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Reinhardt King, Co-pilot: Henry Peeples, Navigator: Ed McGlynn, Bombardier: Francis Petrillo, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Cecil Floura, Radio Operator: Maynard Unger, Ball turret gunner: Albt Pollard, Waist gunner: Julius Mann, Waist gunner: Bob Dwyer,Tail gunner: Joe Lyons (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Bad Schwalbach, six miles NW of Wiesbaden, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 382. HELL’S ANGEL.
Last updated: 21. December 2019
28. April 2024 access_time 18:22
A few weeks ago (first week of April, 2024) I turned 85. So I was only four years old when this B-17 crashed in Bad Schwalbach near the city of Wiesbaden. But I can still remember quite cleary the almighty explosion when the bomber hit the ground. Fortunately, the plane didn’t come down near the centre of the small town. The crash site was about half a mile away from our apartment. It was rumoured that it still had all the bombs on board. Which surprises me because going by what I’ve now found out it must have been on its way back to England from the raid of Schweinfurt.
I only decided about two months ago to do some research to find out what bomber it was that had crashed so close to our apartment and what its mission had been.