Production-block:
B-17F-120-BO: 42-30732 to 42-30831
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 388th Bomb Group
- 390th Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 570th Bomb Squadron
- RCL: DI-M
MACR: 3180
History of
B-17 42-30783 / The Stork Club
Delivered Cheyenne 28/7/43; Scott 9/8/43; Assigned: 388BG Knettishall 24/8/43; Transferred: 570BS/390BG [DI-M] 25/8/43; on Bremen mission 20/12/43 suffered severe flak damage with two engines out; crewmen McLaughlin, Graber, Bean, Shelby, Cox bailed near Wilhelmshaven, Savage{wia}, pilot brought the ship back to Raydon, Sfk., fighter base before returning the base; MIA Augsburg 16/3/44 Pilot: Vince DeMayo, Co-Pilot: Bob Spicer, Bombardier: Chester Brenizer, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Jack Willoughby, Ball Turret Gunner: Pvt Jim Dawes, Waist Gunner: Jerome Blatt, Waist Gunner: Erwin Hodsdon (8KIA); Navigator: Harry Button, Tail Gunner: Bill Thornburg (2POW); Enemy aircraft, crashed Lautern-Heubach road, six miles E of Schwabish Gmund, Germany. MACR 3180. THE STORK CLUB.
Last updated: 31. August 2018
13. April 2021 access_time 0:56
My father Gordon Brown was the co-pilot on the Bremen raid. The bombardier was a guy named Doc. He suggested The Stork Club for a name because he knew the owner of The Stork Club in New York City and figured he could pretty much drink and eat for free when he came back.
31. December 2022 access_time 18:29
My father, James B. Savage was the bombardier on “The Stork Club”. You are correct, he was responsible for the name, and did know the owner of the club in NYC. His nickname was “doc” He spoke often of your Dad as “Brownie” – and the pilot was Phil Dower, who was a quasi-godfather to me. If you would like to discuss this more (I went to Parham and saw their airfield and museum) shoot me an email. I live in Virginia
13. April 2021 access_time 2:07
My father Gordon Brown was the co-pilot on the Bremen raid and told me this. They had two engines out and were having trouble with a third one. They were shot to hell and the communications were out. The pilot dove for the ground because they had two fighters on them. The crew thought they were going down (so did the fighters, so they left) and bailed out. They were so low when they leveled out, my dad said they were coming up for the trees. He told me they were over the Netherlands and saw that people in the fields kept pointing in a certain direction. It took them a minute to realize the people were pointing towards England and would have been shot if the nazis had seen them do it. When they got back, they counted 780 holes in the aircraft from the flak and fighters.