zoom_in
Source:
www.americanairmuseum.com
Production-block:
B-17G-1-BO: 42-31032 to 42-31131
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 447th Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 709th Bomb Squadron
MACR: 2279 / KSU/ME/KU: 746
History of
B-17 42-31108 / Devil’s Mate
Delivered Cheyenne 20/9/43; Harvard 4/10/43; Assigned 709BS/447BG Rattlesden 21/11/43; Missing in Action Frankfurt 29/1/44 with Clyde Allen, Co-pilot: Harry Gottlieb, Navigator: Dick Martin, Bombardier: Harry DeLong, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clyde Lockhart, Radio Operator: Howard Sikes, Ball turret gunner: Fred Dragone, Waist gunner: Joe McDermott, Waist gunner: Larry Palocsko,Tail gunner: Floyd Inman (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Waldecker road, Gonderhausen, near Waldeck castle, 14 miles SW of Koblenz, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 2279 THE DEVIL’S MATE.
Last updated: 31. October 2021
B-17 42-31108 / Devil’s Mate Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1LT | Clyde M. Allen | KIA | - |
| CP | 2LT | Harry Gottlieb | KIA | - |
| NAV | 2LT | Richard A. Marten | KIA | - |
| BOMB | 2LT | Harry B. DeLong | KIA | - |
| ENG/TT | T/SGT | Clyde F. Lockhart | KIA | - |
| RO | T/SGT | Howard E. Sikes | KIA | - |
| BT | S/SGT | Fred A. Dragone | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Joseph F. McDermott | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Larry J. Palocsko | KIA | - |
| TG | S/SGT | Floyd T. Inman | KIA | - |
01. November 2021 access_time 0:58
Lt. Frederick J. Hughes Lost Over Germany Sept 30 1944 I would like name of plane and info on him Thanks mike
04. April 2023 access_time 23:28
Hello Mike: You asked your question about LT Frederick J. Hughes quite a while ago. I’m now doing an article about what took place on 30 September 1944.
The 493rd BG mission to the Marshalling Yard in Bielefeld, Germany lost two aircraft (1 survivor in each crew). However, there was one death in another plane – LT Frederick J. Hughes, Navigator. The aircraft was B-17G 43-38198 and it was named “$1.98”.
12. December 2021 access_time 18:29
I am the great nephew of 1lt Clyde Allen, pilot of Devil’s Mate KIA 29 Jan 1944. I was wondering if anyone had information on the German pilot who shot his B-17 down. Thank you!!
05. March 2022 access_time 18:05
Greetings Jason, The Devil’s Mate crashed in the “Baybachtal” valley close to Gondershausen, Germany, after being disabled in an air battle overhead the nearby village of Bickenbach on Jan. 29, 1944. We’ve been trying to re-identify the (now densely forested) crash location for commemoration purposes. I’ll check the German archives to see if the planes & pilots involved in the battle that day can be identified. To be continued…
05. February 2024 access_time 20:23
Jason! I’m down this rabbit hole. I’ve always loved Clyde stories and with Masters of the Air being my obsession it has energized my desire to know more. Were you always told that Clyde survived but was executed by hanging? That’s the story I always grew up with but I’m not finding the research. Let’s chat, cousin!!!
05. February 2024 access_time 23:53
I would love to discuss more with you Kim! I think I have found an approximate crash site on Google Earth and am planning on going to visit the area soon to do more localized research. We should discuss more!
07. March 2022 access_time 17:18
Thanks Steve!!! We are hoping to visit the area this summer and are looking forward to any further information you might find!! Take care!!!
17. February 2023 access_time 20:13
Greetings Jason,
It’s been a while, but we’ve found the answer to your initial question:
The Devil’s Mate was almost definitely shot down on Jan. 29, 1944 by Lt. Heinz Schlechter, 5./J27 (5. Staffel/Jagt Geschwader 27 – 5th Squadron/27th Fighter Squadron) flying a Messerschmidt Bf 109 G-6 aircraft.
On May 12, 1944, Schlechter had to bail out after colliding with a B-17 by Merzhausen north of Frankfurt. The linked webpage below describes this battle (unfortunately only in German), but the pictures at the bottom show the B-17 (on the left) coming down without its tail and Schlechter (on the right) with a cast on his right arm and wearing an American flyer’s jacket after the collision. He survived the war, but evidently passed away in March 2016.
https://www.einsatzhafen-merzhausen.de/der-einsatzhafen/geschichte-1944-1945/12-05-1944/
Best wishes, Steve G.
P.s. We’ve located the actual crash site of The Devil’s Mate deep in the valley beneath our home. We hope to spend a bit more time down there once the spring weather dries things up a bit. Just for reference, the site lies just off the “Wolfsgraben” stream at Google coordniates: 50.149099, 7.453484
To be continued…..
05. February 2024 access_time 20:27
Hey there! I am also Clyde Allen’s grand niece and we always grew up with the story that he survived the crash but was later executed in a camp by hanging. Is there any evidence to back this up? I’m wondering if it was Allen family urban legend, but we still have letters from Clyde and information the military shared with us after the fact. I’ll go comb through letters to see if I can glean any other information. Thanks for doing this work!
Kim Allen Tolman
30. May 2023 access_time 4:05
My uncle Clyde Lockhart was on that plane. Is it possible to get photos of actual crash site? His mother my grandmother never knew where her son died. Thank you for any information!
16. August 2023 access_time 19:43
Hi Terry, Sorry for the late response. Here are the „Devil’s Mate“ crash site coordinates:
(50.1490040, 7.4535403)
You can plug these right into Google Maps. The site is along the small (Wolfsgraben) stream between Gondershausen and Beulich. The 10 airmen were initially buried in the cemetery in Beulich until they were officially moved the end of the war. I believe your uncle was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Please send me an email address and I‘ll send some pictures when we’re at site next tume.
01. February 2024 access_time 16:22
Hello,
My uncle Harold DeLong was also a crew member of Devils Mate, dying that fateful day H
Jan 29,1944. Then you for the information above. I was wondering if there is a crew photo available? I haven’t seen one yet. My husband and I had been able to travel to Ardennes Cemetery in Belgium in 2012 where my Uncle and his crew mate Richard Martin were laid to rest. We never knew many details growing up so I really appreciate what you’ve been able to share with us.
05. February 2024 access_time 20:30
My great uncle Clyde was the pilot of Devil’s Mate. We have a bunch of his letters and pictures so let me see if I can find a picture of the crew!
Kim Allen Tolman
Utah
03. March 2024 access_time 8:17
Hi Kim, According to local stories and documents, all 10 of the Devil’s Mate crew members were initially buried in the village of Beulich (across the valley from us), before being exhumed and re-buried in U.S. military cemeteries or, as in Clyde‘s case, back in his home state. It is unlikely that anyone survived the impact on Jan. 29, 1944, as the crash site was/is remote and very rugged with parts scattered over a relatively large area.