Source:
www.fold3.com
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Boeing |
| Production-Block: | , B-17F-90-BO: 42-30132 to 42-30231 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 379th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 525th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | FR-C |
| MACR | 1765 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by flak/aa-fire (17 August 1943) |
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History of
B-17 42-30191 / The Bolevich
Delivered Cheyenne 24/4/43; Smoky Hill 14/5/43; Tinker 24/5/43; Smoky Hill 29/5/43; Dow Fd 1/6/43; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-C] Kimbolton 6/6/43; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 17/8/43; flak, crash landed wheels up on road between Elfershausen & Trimburg, 13 miles NW of Schweinfurt, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1765. THE BOLEVICH.
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B-17 42-30191 / The Bolevich Details
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B-17 42-30191 / The Bolevich Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 2LT | Donald W. Merchant | POW | - |
| CP | 2LT | James E Sullivan | POW | - |
| NAV | 2LT | Ernest K Keith | POW | - |
| BOMB | 2LT | Leonard J. Roman | POW | - |
| ENG/TT | T/SGT | Gene R Hecht | KIA | - |
| RO | T/SGT | Johannes H. Johnson | POW | - |
| BT | S/SGT | Robert T. Tonge | POW | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Edgar Van Valkenberg | POW | - |
| WG | T/SGT | Harold B. Ridgely | POW | - |
| TG | S/SGT | John L. Wierzbanowski | POW | - |
This page was last updated on 12 April 2018
21. July 2017 access_time 9:25
My dad was Leonard Roman. I am grateful to have this historic photo access.
16. November 2017 access_time 5:28
My dad was Edgar Van Valkenburg. I agree with the comment above. Thank you for maintaining this web site.
10. April 2018 access_time 15:10
Your Edgar Van Valkenberg son? He was married to Doris? I am her grand son and Edgar was my grandfather. I so loved him as di my whole family.
28. January 2024 access_time 2:44
Eddie Van Valkenburg was my uncle and godfather. My dad was Al Van Valkenburg, his youngest brother. When I was at college in St Pete, Florida, I frequently visited Uncle Eddie and and Aunt Dodie. He told me that his parachute got caught in a tree and he was shot in the leg. He still had the bullet in his calf.I have seen his POW diary on display at the National POW museum in Andersonville.
26. April 2025 access_time 8:49
I went to Andersonville and couldn’t find his diary plan on going back.
10. April 2018 access_time 15:08
OMG thank you so much for this. My grandfather was Edgar Van Valkenberg
12. April 2018 access_time 2:14
Edgar Van Valkenberg kept a diary during his time in POW camp. It has been donated to Andersonville in GA.
20. April 2018 access_time 20:11
Hallo,
my father was 1943 by the plane and saw the pilot Merchant and heard also the conversation with the pilot.
Edgar Van Valkenberg bailed out and came down in Poppenhausen, near Schweinfurt. Another Crewmember came down in Wirmsthal. I read parts of the diary of E. V. Valkenberg.
The 42-30191 was hit by flak over schweinfurt, but was further hit by a Messerschmitt 110E over Aura a. d. Saale. In many publications the pilot is named with Christof Nagel but this is not correct.
Correct is Helmut Nagel was the pilot from 10.NJG 101 and his radio operator was Paul Christofzik. I’ve been exploring this crash for many years and spoke a lot of eyewitness.
Very interesting is that inside the cockpit was a ball-bearing from Schweinfurt.
Presumably this had been delivered to the United States via Switzerland. Switerland was neutral. With german ball-bearing the ball bearing industry schweinfurt was bombed.
I have much more informations and pictures.
Mfg
Holger Wörner
Germany
03. February 2020 access_time 16:36
Very interested in any photographs of the 42-30191 that you can share. These should go to the 8th Air Force museum in Georgia USA
21. September 2024 access_time 3:48
Hi, I am Jim Rawls and Edgar was my grandfather married to my perianal grandmother. I’ve only known him as grandpa growing up. One of my most favorite memory’s growing up was him playing his marimba. He was a special man!!
17. January 2024 access_time 19:42
Hello all, my grandfather was Kit Keith, the navigator who raised me and told me so many stories. As an adult, I got my degree in Military History with a WWII focus… and even traveled to Elfershausen in the summer of 2007 to explore the landing site and town where the Bolevich crash-landed. I will update with more details and photos and excited to share my story with other family members. Stay tuned !
14. July 2024 access_time 2:48
The Bolevich pilot was my father, he died when I was 4 years old, I was never able to have a conversation with him about his experience. I am currently working at an Air Force Base and residing in Germany. Please share the information you have about the landing location and POW experience, thank you
21. September 2024 access_time 23:14
Further information from 42-30191,
I have names of those involved, but they are only shown in abbreviated form.
………Then he saw people walking about 150m to the left to the allotment gardens on the railway embankment and followed them. There the US pilot Merchant was lying on his back. He had pants on with pockets on the front, below the knee. A.W had never seen this on a hose before. He was also wearing a leather jacket and was bleeding from his forehead. The railway official B. is standing there with the rake and 2 soldiers. One of the German soldiers offered the US pilot a cigarette, which he immediately smoked. Then they bandaged his bleeding head wound and the soldiers led him to the plane to turn off the engines and the self-destruct mechanism, while he constantly looked at his watch. The dealer went into the machine alone and about 1-2 minutes later all the noise of the machine stopped and he came out again.
24. September 2024 access_time 21:28
The pilot Helmut Nagel of the Me 110E first lands in Kitzingen and then drives with his radio operator, the group commander Major Fehling, a technical officer and a staff clerk to Elfershausen, to the landing site of the US bomber. The pilot Donald William Merchant, who was on his 11th combat mission on this mission, is arrested and initially taken to the Hammelburg camp. Merchant was later taken to Oberursel for questioning. Mostly Allied flying personnel were interviewed here. German Air Force officers conducted these interviews. He was then sent to the main camp Luft 3 (Stalag 3) in Sagan in Lower Silesia as a prisoner of war (POW) for 20 months.
07. October 2024 access_time 21:12
A Bolevich bomber crew member landed with his parachute near W., presumably Robert Tonge. The American walks from Terzenbrunn (small chapel) to W. . He is wearing his leather suit, a leather hat and also has his red-brown shoes on. The population of W. becomes aware of the crew member and he is taken to the Provost. Soldiers on home leave from russia in W. were not well disposed towards the bomber crew member and there was a threat of an attack on the US Air Force soldier. However, the provost takes massive action against it and warns against touching the US soldiers. He shouts: “Imagine being shot down and having to parachute into a foreign country.” The Provost threatens consequences for anyone who wants to do something to the man. Tempers then calm down and the provost offers the American food and drink, which he gladly accepts. The Provost then made a telephone call to Hammelburg and reported that a US aircraft member had been delivered to him.
After a while a vehicle comes to pick up the soldier. As he leaves the house, the American pats the provost on the upper arm, smiles and says: “Good man.”
26. February 2024 access_time 6:07
I am writing my grandfather’s POW story from his time in Stalag 13C near Hammelburg , Germany. I have another photo of what I believe is this downed B17 from the front. I believe taken by someone in his POW network.
26. February 2024 access_time 6:13
I am writing my grandfather’s POW story from his time in Stalag 13C near Hamelburg , Germany
14. July 2024 access_time 1:58
The pilot of Bolevich was my father. I am currently living in Germany and would like any information to visit where the plane was shot down . I read there is a Stalag 13 museum I would like to visit and is in Poland.
16. July 2024 access_time 5:53
Jeanette,
There was 4 Stalag 13″s A through D at different locations across Germany and Poland. Stalag 13C near Hammelburg, housed mostly allied enlisted ranks. They provided intelligence to the allies before and after the bombing raid on Schweinfurt ball bearing factory. I have a photo of the downed plane that I can share with you if you would like. I just can’t added it to this message.
Regards,
Stephen
21. September 2024 access_time 3:49
I would love that please email me.
24. June 2025 access_time 21:09
Hi, I am an American living about 10 minutes from the site. I visited the location this last weekend and took some pictures. If you are still in Germany and interested in seeing the location, please reach out! I am a USAF veteran and love history, so I have been researching this heavily and have the reports from the USAAF regarding the crew statements and whatnot.
25. June 2025 access_time 15:28
I am not sure if my original comment made it.
I am an American living about 10 minutes from the site where the Bolevich crash landed. I was there this past weekend and took some pictures. If you are still in Germany and interested in visiting the location, shoot me an email, i would love to help!
26. February 2024 access_time 6:15
I have another photo of this downed plane.