Source:
https://390th.org
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Boeing |
| Production-Block: | , B-17F-115-BO: 42-30617 to 42-30731 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 390th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 568th Bomb Squadron, 569th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | BI-O, CC-O |
| MACR | 7555 |
| KSU/ME/KU: | 1518 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by flak/aa-fire (19 July 1944) |
History of
B-17 42-30642 / Geronimo
Delivered Cheyenne 3/7/43; Gore 4/7/43; Cheyenne 26/7/43; Dow Fd 27/7/43; Assigned: 568BS/390BG [BI-O] Framlingham 6/8/43; Transferred: 569BS [CC-O]; MIA Schweinfurt 19/7/44 Pilot: Dick Smith, Ira Pritchett, Dan Sulmazey, Theo Ekdahl, John Tope, Lee tabor, Bill Bruton, Alb Herricht, Bob Milligan, Bob Richardson (10KIA); flak, one engine out, crashed Haren, Belgium. MACR 7555. GERONIMO.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 42-30642 / Geronimo Details
At about 0845 hours at about 20000 feet, near Aachen 5045N – 0600E A/C 642 peeled out of formation and dropped behind. Pilot called out over VHF saying one. engine out and was aborting. A/C fell behind group and last reported straggling near 5045N – 0600E. No chutes seen. Cause of distress unknown.
B-17 42-30642 / Geronimo Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 2LT | Richard O. Smith | KIA | - |
| CP | 2LT | Ira E. Pritchett, Jr. | KIA | - |
| NAV | 2LT | Daniel P. Sulmasy | KIA | - |
| ENG/TT | S/SGT | John L. Tope | KIA | - |
| RO | S/SGT | Lee J. Tabor | KIA | - |
| BT | SGT | William E. Bruton | KIA | - |
| WG | SGT | Albert E. Herricht | KIA | - |
| WG | SGT | Robert Milligan | KIA | - |
| TG | SGT | Robert D. Richardson | KIA | - |
| TOG | S/SGT | Theodore M. Ekdahl | KIA | - |
This page was last updated on 23 January 2021
08. May 2019 access_time 10:56
Hi,
as I am busy researching some reports on the Geronimo, pls note it did not crash in Malmedy but in Haren, close to Brussels.
It needs to be corrected in your database.
Hope it helped you
Stephan
08. May 2019 access_time 17:30
Hello Stephan,
thank you for the information. Crash site changed to Haren, Belgium.
06. November 2023 access_time 2:11
Hi. I just want to thank you for your efforts in this endeavor. My grandmother {Evelyn Majka} was married to Richard O. Smith when he was KIA. She passed away in 2000 without knowing exactly what happened to Dick and his crew. I wish I had more info to give you. I just want to thank you for keeping those brave mens memory alive. My grandmother would have loved to see your work.
13. November 2023 access_time 10:34
Hi Daniel,
thank you for your email. Not sure if you saw the album of your uncle on our Amry Air Forces Historical Society page on Facebook. It is a pity the B-17 most likely crashed on the current N.A.T.O. site in Haren (Every). Your aunt (I think), Barbara Smith wanted to erect a memorial or so, but then I menitoned to her that it is N.A.T.O. military area. So we can not even access that terrain. It is a pity. But if you would have some more photos or you gain more info from relatives, it is always a welcome to receive it form my own records.
Have a good day and I hope we stay in contact!
Stephan
13. November 2023 access_time 10:35
oops..sorry for the typing errors. Was typing too fast….
11. January 2020 access_time 0:59
My Dad, Alton Pierce and my uncle Ted Pierce, flew 18 of their 35 missions on Geronimo. Their very first mission was on April 4, 1944 and the last on Geronimo was July 7, 1944.
11. January 2020 access_time 11:35
Hello Richard,
thank you for sharing your Dad’s and uncle’s history! Did they flew together on missions in the same B-17?
26. July 2021 access_time 23:25
The Pierces did fly together and I believe they completed all 35 missions together. They were part of the crew my grandfather, George McKee, was on for all 35 of his missions as pilot. I believe 18 of those missions were on Geronimo which was shot down while they were on leave. Another plane the crew flew for 10+ missions was also shot down while they were on leave.
14. December 2021 access_time 21:47
Alton Pierce and Ted Pierce were my great uncles! (my grandmother, Barbara, was the their sister.) I am in the midst of doing family trees and was looking for their actual plane, i know my mother has a bunch of memorabilia. We also have half dollar that has a hole blown into it from a bullet – would’ve killed him!
12. September 2022 access_time 17:48
Hi,
I also do research on B-17 Geronimo. Like you the only photo of the bomber you have I have. She was downed at Haren- Belbium. But left the beehive above Eupen-Malmedy. And over the radio they heared it would make a crashlanding. Al the flying crew was killed in the crash. and eventualy burried with Military honour at a Brussels cemetary.
Regards,
Beelaert Geert, research B-65 Maldegem, Belgium
22. November 2022 access_time 23:25
my grandmother was married to the pilot Dick Smith. she always wanted to know the circumstances of his death. she would of loved to see the information I’ve found on the web. unfortunately she passed away in 2000. I searched for information before her death but I could not find anything. thanks for keeping his memory alive. those men were so brave and so young. God bless you all
13. September 2022 access_time 11:27
Dear,
On this photo you can see behind Geronimo B-17 Rovin Ramona 476.
Regards,
Geert Beelaert research B-65 Maldegem
02. August 2024 access_time 19:19
she was a fantastic bomber.
my uncle was part of that first crew in September of 43.
he was the bombardier/togglingfrom September thru December 1943.
he flew the majority of his missions there (25) with the 24th almost his last when flak took out an engine and they dropped out of formation.
with the help of supporting gunfire from the squadron, they fought their way into the clouds and made it back home.
it would take a month to repair her, but she flew many missions until that day in July.
after she went down, my uncle didn’t talk to anybody for a few days.
he grieved for the loss of his old bomber, and grieved the loss of the crew that he had never known.
10. October 2025 access_time 2:21
Hi Jay,
I just ran across this site and your comments this afternoon. My father, Robert G. Schneider, was the pilot of Geronimo from August 27th through December 20th of 1943. He told me he lost an engine three times, always engine # 1. One of those times, his last mission on December 20th, sounds reminiscent of your uncle’s 24th mission. Does that date correlate with your information ?
Regards,
Glenn D. Schneider
10. October 2025 access_time 17:30
Yes, December 20th was my uncle’s 24th mission from my research, I saw that the two men flew the first 24 missions together. captian Schneider didn’t return for the 25th mission of the crew that was flown 4 days later on christmas eve, in the DOLLY (b17-G) , and I have assumed that he was wounded on that 24th mission and not able to return to duty. The December 20, 1943 Mission was over Bremen GE. i have a book my uncle collected about Bremen, and it sounded like a extremely dangerous destination due to the heavy defenses there. My Uncle Was Lt Perry McTee
14. October 2025 access_time 23:31
Hi Jay,
The Bremen mission on December 20th was Dad’s 25th mission. Colonel Witten sent him home,
and gave him “The Lucky Bastard” Diploma. Dad told me he spent Christmas Eve
in London in a Turkish bath. He finished his enlisted time stateside, ferrying aircraft
from Love Field in Texas to various distribution points. He then served in the Air Force Reserve,
attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. The air force wanted him to fly in the Korean War,
but Mom nixed that. She lost her first husband, Robert G. Campbell, also a B-17 pilot,
over Germany in November of 1944.
The only crew casualty Dad ever had was on that December 20th Bremen mission. The
waist gunner, who was filling in for his regular waist gunner, was hit in the knee. He was
bleeding badly, survived, but had a bum knee thereafter. Dad kept in contact with him
for many years. I believe I have his name somewhere, but it evades me at the moment.
Dad apparently had a reputation for always making it back. He heard that the gunnery
sergeants on the base checked to see if he was flying that day’s mission. I’m not sure now
if they were just keeping track, or if they might have considered him good luck if they were
also on mission that day,… I should have got some clarification from him.
I have some pictures for you. I will try to attach them to this email….
Best Regards,
Glenn D. Schneider
The Lucky Bastard Diploma.jpg
Below is your uncle, Lt. Perry McTee, bombardier, in action !
(Note the Geronimo # 230642 on the tail.)
I think I have seen this picture somewhere online, but misattributed to another, later, crew.
This picture of my Dad’s has the date “Nov. 1943” written on the back,
so your uncle is in there, doing his job quite nicely.
Bomb Bay Doors Open.jpg
Finally, here is an autographed crew picture. Your uncle, I believe, is in the first row,
right hand side. His signature is faint, and probably not visible in my photo of the photo,
but in the original, I can make out “P. S. McTee”. Does that sound correct for a middle initial ?
(Dad is in the same row, left hand side.)
Crew Picture.jpg
16. October 2025 access_time 6:17
Hi Jay,
I have been trying to send you some pictures, but haven’t had any success in attaching them to this thread.
Do you have a personal email that I could use to do so ?
Regards,
Glenn
14. October 2025 access_time 23:34
Hi Jay,
Follow-up here,… It seems I was not able to post the pictures in my last note to this site.
Do you have a personal email address to which I can send the pictures ?
Regards,
Glenn