B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-31361 / The Punched Fowl

History of
B-17 42-31361 / The Punched Fowl

Delivered Cheyenne 25/10/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; Assigned: 729BS/452BG Deopham Green 3/1/44; MIA Bremen 4/8/44 Pilot: Edwin Arey, Ernie Thorp, Bob Denner, Harry Serowsky, Leroy Bair, Larry Rosenberger, Theophilus Libucha, Marris Daso (8POW); Orran Floyd (KIA); flak, ditched North Sea. MACR 7710. THE PUNCHED FOWL.

Last updated: 7. September 2020

B-17 42-31361 / The Punched Fowl Details

Following statement obtained by S-2 Section, 452nd Bomb Group (H) at interrogation after return of mission.

A/C 361 sustained a flak hit in the vicinity of the I.P., at which point one engine was observed on fire and the A/C left the formation – peeling off in front of the formation slowly circling to the left and headed got the North Sea. The A/C was then flying at 25000 feet and appeared to be completely under control. When the A/C fell out of formation both escape hatches were seen to come off and four to six chutes were observed from the plane. No further information concerning to loss of this A/C has been obtained, however, one returning crew reported observing an oil spot and dinghy off the coast at 5410N – 0734E (observation made at 1333 hours, from 20000 feet on a 320° heading) which they think might have been from the missing A/C 361.

Source: MACR 7710

B-17 42-31361 / The Punched Fowl Crew