B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-3147 / Homesick Angel

History of
B-17 42-3147 / Homesick Angel

Delivered Long Beach 27/2/43; with Bill Dobson force landed on edge of runway at Smoky Hill, KS. 7/4/43 and damaged while parked and unmanned by John Wedding on 42-3074; Dow Fd 10/7/43; Assigned 49BS/2BG Ain M’Lila 18/7/43; Massicault 31/7/43; {26m} transferred 341BS/97BG Depienne 14/11/43; Missing in Action Istres, Fr. 16/11/43 with Dick Packard, Waters, Dustin, Case, Hertel, Garrity, Largo, Atkins, Elliot (9 Killed in Action); Eslick (Prisoner of War); crashed target area. Missing Air Crew Report 1195. HOMESICK ANGEL.

Last updated: 29. June 2020

B-17 42-3147 / Homesick Angel Details

Eyewitness Statements from MACR 1195

At approximately 1315 hours on November 16, 1943, while on the second run on our target at Istres Le Tube A/D, France the following was observed by the undersigned:

Aircraft number 42-3147 was flying #3 position in the element which flying #2 position. Aircraft number 42-3147 suddenly burst into flame inside the cockpit and along #3 engine. The ship momentarily held course and then turned slowly to the right and down disappearing from my view under my left wing. In my opinion a flak burst hit the ship under the cockpit toward the #3 engine side. My waist gunner and ball turret gunner, watched the ship in its descent. From the time of the explosion until the ship crashed in a lake. No parachutes or crew member from aircraft number 42-3147, were seen to leave the ship by any members of my crew.

Norman F. Wagner
2Lt. AC, Pilot

The following was observed by the undersigned on November 16, 1943 at 1316 hours on the second bomb run on Istres Le Tube A/D, France:

I was flying right wing, ship number 637, second element as tail gunner and observed ship number 42-3147, as it was hit by flak in the right front side of the bomb bay and it caught fire at about the same time. About 10 seconds later it swerved to the right front showing the bottom of the bomb bay which was on fire from left side of bomb bay to #3 engine and it went into a tight spin as it went out of my vision for a few seconds. And when it came into my vision again it was about two or three hundred feet from the ground and I watched it until it hit in the lake near the target. When it hit all I could see was a mass of flame, I did not observe any parachutes in the air or see any members of the crew leave the ship.

S/Sgt. Samuel E. Jones

B-17 42-3147 / Homesick Angel Crew