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Source:
100thbg.com
Production-block:
B-17F-85-BO: 42-30032 to 42-30131
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 100th Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 351st Bomb Squadron
- RCL: EP-F
MACR: 683
History of
B-17 42-30080 / High Life
Delivered Cheyenne 7/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Westover 3/5/43; Wendover 16/5/43; Kearney 23/5/43; Dow Fd 22/5/43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-F] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; Missing in Action Regensburg 17/8/43 with Don Oakes, Co-pilot: Joe Harper, Navigator: Hiram Harris, Bombardier: Lloyd Hammarlund, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Elder, Radio Operator: Jim Scott, Ball turret gunner: Les Nadeau, Waist gunner: Vince McGrath, Waist gunner: Nolan Stevens,Tail gunner: Leon Goyer (10INT); enemy aircraft KO’d #3, then #2 lost oil pressure and crash landed Dubendorf, near Zurich, Switz, where it was dismantled and taken to Kloten for storage, was eventually scrapped (1st US aircraft interned); Missing Air Crew Report 683. HIGH LIFE.
Last updated: 13. January 2020
B-17 42-30080 / High Life Details
Um die Mittagsstunden des heutigen Tages sind zwei amerikanische “Fliegende Festungen” in der Schweiz notgelandet und zwar die eine um 12.48 Uhr in Dübendorf, die andere um 14 Uhr in Utzendorf (Bern). Die beiden Besatzungen von je 10 Mann sind anschließend interniert worden.
Neue Züricher Zeitung – Dienstag, 17. August 1943
B-17 Flying Fortress “HIGH LIFE” emergency landed in Switzerland
The B-17F High Life was one of two B-17s, which landed in Switzerland on that day. The other B-17F was Battle Queen #42-30315 of the 390th BG. Battle Queen landed in Utzendorf.
17. February 2024 access_time 22:26
My uncle, Don Oakes, is seen in this video walking towards the camera doing a short wave. He was the pilot and Captain of the High Life. This is really great to see!
28. February 2024 access_time 0:24
First time I ever saw this. My Uncle George Elder was the engineer on High Life and is seen checking the top turret guns in the video.
20. March 2024 access_time 2:41
The tail gunner Leo(nard) Goyer shared many stories over coffee with me of his time in service in WWII in the “bloody” 100th in the the B17 named “High Life”. He also told Me that the Miller brewing company got the crew all together back around the early 90’s (?) and did several days of interviews and camera footage and with a B17 mocked up as the High Life. This was done for a prospective beer commercial for the WWII 50th anniversary I believe, but didn’t make the cut to ever air. I’ve always wondered if that footage still exists somewhere???!!