Production-block:
B-17G-20-BO: 42-31432 to 42-31631
Manufacturer:
Boeing
- Bomb Group:
- 381st Bomb Group
- Bomb Squadron:
- 534th Bomb Squadron
- RCL: GD-G
Missions: 55
History of
B-17 42-31550 / Green Hornet 2nd
Delivered Denver 21/11/43; Kearney 14/12/43; La Guardia 21/12/43; Presque Is 23/12/43; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-G] Ridgewell 13/1/44; Missing in Action [55M] Cologne 17/10/44 with Rice; flak, force landed Speelberg, near Holsbeek, NE of Louvain, Bel. some crew bailed, 2WIA but all OK; Salvaged 21/11/44. GREEN HORNET 2ND.
Last updated: 25. May 2018
06. May 2019 access_time 2:36
My father was a tail gunner on this B-17 Green Hornet 2nd. I have photos of him with the crew. He did 35 missions. Gallagher and Palmer pilots. Did this aircraft continue after his tour with it? I read it crash landed? My father has the DFC and just checking. Thank you.
06. May 2019 access_time 9:44
Hello Bill,
this B-17 flew a total of 55 missions. So, I think it continue flew, afer your father completed his tour.
09. May 2019 access_time 5:19
Hello,
My grandfather flew “Green Hornets” from Rougham…I am sure this is a different ship but I’m trying to track down a pic of it. It was also known and “Kac’s Flak Shack” and “Erie Ferry” prior and crashed at Gelnhausen on 9-11-44. Thanks!
13. May 2019 access_time 18:50
Hello Justin,
I think this is the B-17:
https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-31653-erie-ferry-aka-kacs-flak-shack-aka-green-hornets/
18. October 2019 access_time 23:50
Hi Bill,
last sunday we have commemorated the emergency landing of the Green Hornet2nd. There was a lot of interest of the locals and few eyewitnesses told their story. It was a great day. I have uploaded few photos of that day. If you have not seen those yet, then follow the link to our facebook page.
Best rgds,
Stephan Creutzburg
https://www.facebook.com/US-Army-Air-Forces-Historical-Society-533899323701630/
23. November 2023 access_time 3:28
I think my grandfather served with your dad. If you have pictures I would love to see them. He never talked much about it, and my father only ever knew he was downed behind enemy lines.
01. May 2024 access_time 15:23
Hi Aaron, together with Paul Boon I have been reconstructing the forced landing of your grandfather’s B-17 during his very first combat mission on Oct 17, 1944. I’d be happy to give you some more insight on that.
27. June 2024 access_time 1:22
Hi Bill,
I just came across this website doing research. Anyways, my grandfathers brother (Charles Banotai) served on this plane, he was killed in 1945 when it went down for the final time. I think their times may have overlapped, because he joined the crew early into 1944. If you could send me some of those photos, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Nathan natemanelski@icloud.com
06. May 2019 access_time 17:00
Your comment specifies that Green Hornet 2nd 42 31550 G was salvaged on 21-11-1944.
However a picture of my collection shows this plane with a cornfield in the background, i.e. summertime
Moreover people of the village Kortrijk-dutsel, in which plane crash landed and being the village of mij birth place, confirm that the plane remained at his crash location for at least one year.
As a result I presume that date of salvage shoud be earliest 21-11-1945
09. October 2019 access_time 19:48
Today I saw that the crash landing of this B-17 will be remembered next sunday near the fields where it crashed.
This field is near the farm of my grandparents and my mother saw the landing of the plane with her own eyes.
She remembers it all as was it yesterday and can tell a lot off it.
At that moment my mother was only16 years old and she is now 91 years old.
She knows very much details on how the plane crashed with the wheels going into the earth as there was a an edge in the field that has now gone away by ploughing from the farmes with tractors.
At that time my mother used this edge in the field to get easyly on the back of the horse.
She still has a photo with my mother sitting on the plane.
That ‘s why I will visit the event next sunday.
10. October 2019 access_time 8:54
Thank you for sharing, Jean!
Can I get a copy of the photo for this web site?
25. October 2019 access_time 18:26
Hallo Jean,
Ik heb u ontmoet op de herdenking. Ik was jouw naam vergeten. Uw grootmoeder moet “in de volksmond” Meen Vertessen zijn. Samen met Bart Robberechts, die de presentatie gaf, schrijf ik een artikel over deze crash. Wij zoeken nog bijkomende ooggetuigen. Is het mogelijk met jouw grootmoe over deze crash eens te spreken ? Hierbij geef ik tevens het email adres van Bart : bartrobberechts@skynet.be
Paul
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