B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-30388 / Danny Boy

History of
B-17 42-30388 / Danny Boy

Delivered Cheyenne 26/5/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Gr Isle 20/6/43; Geiger 22/6/43; smoky Hill 23/6/43; Dow Fd 5/7/43; Assigned 429BS/2BG Ain M’Lila 13/7/43; Massicault 31/7/43; Missing in Action {7m} Istres le Tube 17/8/43; flak, #4 engine fire, eight chutes seen, crashed near Avignon, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 406. DANNY BOY.

Last updated: 6. March 2020

B-17 42-30388 / Danny Boy Details

Statement of 1st Lt. Henry W. Kinnen after liberation: “It was at about 1400 hours and at 21.000 feet when we left the formation, approximately 100 miles south of Marseille, near the Rhome Valley, I bailed out and all but three others bailed out also. They were S/Sgt. Karcich, S/Sgt. Zeigler, and Sgt. Turner.

“Lts. Ochocki and Taylor went out the front hatch. T/Sgt Petroski and I went out the nose hatch. 1st Lt. Fisher went out the still open bomb bay. S/Sgt. Barratt bailed out the tail hatch. Sgt. Kasper went out the waist gun port.

“I have reason to believe that we came down near a small village in the Avignon area with the name of Eygaliers, or name very similar. I was once afforded a brief glance at my POW file card and remembered the odd name of the village, particularly since I had never been sure before, just where we had come down. It was listed as the place of my capture.

“I did not see any of our crew members after landing until I saw T/Sgt. Petroski. He and I were in a German Army Hospital at ArIes, France together. He had a badly twisted knee and front teeth knocked loose. I had two bad flak wounds on the left knee, badly sprained back, and not able to walk. I was captured within ten minutes after landing by Luftwaffe troopers. I saw Sgt. Kasper in the hands of the Germans, not injured, en route to the hospital. T/Sgt. Petroski said he saw Lt. Fisher, Lt. Ochocki, Lt. Taylor, and S/Sgt. Barratt on the ground and they were going to try to evade. T/Sgt. Petroski was helpless on the ground and could not join them.

“Sgt. Kasper was a POW and liberated in late April, 1945. I talked several times with him and T/Sgt. Petroski at Camp Lucky Strike in May, 1945 while waiting processing to return to the United States. It was from Sgt. Kasper that I learned of the fate of the other three men that went down with the ship.

“Sgt. Turner, S/Sgt. Ziegler, and S/Sgt. Karcich did not bailout to my knowledge. Sgt. Kasper said the three men were at the waist door. The jettison control was jammed and evidently they waited too long in taking the alternate escape out the waist gun port. They were still trying to force the jammed waist hatch when Sgt. Kasper went out the waist gun port. Lt. Fisher gave ample bail-out time over the interphone. Sgt. Kasper said that the gun mount had been an obstacle but he was able to clear it in jumping. The ship had already begun to roll when I bailed out and they were probably pinned by the force of the spinning plane.”

In a letter from Henry Petroski in August, 1998, he stated that Lt. Fisher, Lt. Ochocki, Lt. Taylor and S/Sgt. Barratt escaped through France and that S/Sgt. Barratt returned to finish his missions. The Missing Air Crew Report did not reflect their evading and also said the name of their ship was “DANNY BOY,” not “SUNNY BOY” as earlier reported.

Quelle: http://www.2ndbombgroup.org

B-17 42-30388 / Danny Boy Crew