B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-31987 / Shilaylee aka The Little Skipper

History of
B-17 42-31987 / Shilaylee aka The Little Skipper

Delivered Cheyenne 13/1/44; Kearney 22/1/44; Romulus 23/2/44; Grenier 28/2/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-A] Thorpe Abbotts 10/3/44; 418BS [LD-D]; Missing in Action Misburg 31/12/44 with Glen Rojohn, Co-pilot: Bill Leek, Navigator: Bob Washington, Bombardier: Jim Shirley, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Orville Elkin, Radio Operator: Ed Neuhaus (6 Prisoner of War); Ball turret gunner: Joe Russo, Waist gunner: Roy Little,Tail gunner: Francis Chase (3 Killed in Action); mid air coll, crashed Rustringen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 11550. SHILAYLEE aka THE LITTLE SKIPPER.

Last updated: 15. July 2020

B-17 42-31987 / Shilaylee aka The Little Skipper Details

Mid-air-collision with B-17 #43-38457 ‘Nine Lives’ on 31 December 1944. Both aircraft were locked together and crashed.

Eyewitness Accounts From MACR 11550

At 1250 hours, 19000 feet, 2 B-17’s believed to be A/C 43-38457 and A/C 42-31987 pancaked together, circled and crashed, still attached to each other. Six chutes were seen before the A/C landed, most of them are believed to have fallen on land. There was no fire from the A/C with in the air or on the ground although there was some smoke.

B-17 42-31987 / Shilaylee aka The Little Skipper Crew