| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Douglas |
| Production-Block: | , B-17F-45-DL: 42-3284 to 42-3338 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 390th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 571st Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | FC-W |
| MACR | 1337 |
| Fate: |
, ditched, Out of gas (05 December 1943) |
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History of
B-17 42-3297 / The Bad Penny
Delivered Cheyenne 29/4/43; Dow Fd 10/7/43; Assigned 571BS/390BG [FC-W] Framlingham 14/7/43; Missing in Action Merignac 5/12/43 with Norman Palmer, Co-pilot: Gil Parkes, Navigator: Capt Bill Hickey, Bombardier: Grady Embree, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Riley, Radio Operator: Herb Fagley, Ball turret gunner: Bill Hardin, w-Rich Styles,Tail gunner: George Lyman (9 Returned to Duty); no gas, ditched Channel, off Abbotsbury Coast Guard Station, Dorset, crew rescued, but Sgt Waist gunner: Everett Hanna (Killed in Service -died of exposure). Missing Air Crew Report 1337. THE BAD PENNY.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
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This page was last updated on 04 November 2017
07. February 2020 access_time 3:41
Wing section, minus engines, still visible on sea bed off Abbottsbury. Can be completely covered by sand movement.
04. March 2020 access_time 8:06
Hello Steve, can you sent me the position as a screenshot of Google Map with a marker?
09. July 2020 access_time 0:30
Hi,
Sorry for the delay 🙁 didn’t see the continuing comments under my last post. Will do.
28. March 2022 access_time 22:37
Hi, are you able to post the location and co-ordinates please
14. April 2022 access_time 2:18
Hello Martin, Currently in the USA…..called by at Borger, TX, last known address for Everett T Hanna. His name appears on the town war memorial. In 1993, when I dived the wreck, there was no such thing as GPS for the average person. I used transits from the shore line. When I get home in late April, I will put a Google map mark on the spot. I thought I’d done this previously ?? The engines are suppose to lie close by. Worth another look at the area. Best wishes, Steve Jones
03. March 2020 access_time 23:15
Lt. Grady Embree was the co-pilot on this mission. Became a POW on 16th Dec 43, on only his 2nd mission.
06. July 2020 access_time 13:59
I am Ron Wheeler and was a member of Wells Diving Group then an independant club but later BSAC and then SAA. I was one of the first to dive the Abbotsbury bomber as it was known. It was found by one of our members after we had a converstaion with the onshore fishermen at the hut just to the east of the coastguard house inshore from where she lay in 10 – 12 meters of water. We dived it many times then in the late 60’s I think. It was fairly easy to locate by dragging the anchor from east to west until it hitched on the leading edge of the wings which was about the only part resting on the sand/mud. The only other part was a tyre, the top half of which was exposed. It was found by a member, Jim Palmer. One one occasion I was first down with a trainee who carried a hand spear ( those were the days!!?) and he spotted a large lobster in the wing spars. He speared it and pulled it out. It was a Monster. It took the two of us to fight it to the surface with it’s rear tail thrashing to pull it down. Can’t remember how much it weighed but the onshore fisheremen reconed it had to be at least 25 years old. We also retrieved part of a flyers jacket from the central area of the wings on one occassion where the Fusealage was missing. But on another occassion I was teaching a novice the principal of circular searching to the east of the wings and in very low viz we snagged something which turned out to be the top 6″ or so ot the fin. These stood around 15 feet above the fusealage so that told us the she was sunk at least that depth under the mud. Perhaps a mighty storm may expose her one day. We also had a great story of her crash landing from the fishermen who saw her come in and they rowed out to effect a crew rescue (mostly successful) but one had got into the planes inflatable life raft which partially inflated but the painter got caught up liftrng the bows. This acted as a sail and it took off along the shore line with an airman in it. They rowed after it for half a mile before they caught it and the airman. Our chairman, Tony Watkins manage to get hold of the USAF somewhere un the UK where the plane was originally based (Lincolnshire??) and got permisson to take responsibility for diving exploration on her but I seem to recall that Bristol Uni Bsac took over some years later. The final chapetr was finding an engine. Another of our group, Peter Poll, got info from one of the fishermen that there was a large object that they always snagged their nets on some 400 yds East of the wings. Peter did an exploritory dive and dropped right on it. We got quite excited as it has 16 platinum tipped plugs and set up lifting drums after buoying it the week before intending to attempt a lift. To our dismay it had completely disappeared when we all went to try. We talked to the fishermen and they related that during the week a portland based minesweeper had come through with gear fully deployed and swept it up. We guessed they had been observing the activity from Portland and decide to do an excercise along the beach and got lucky. The bt…..ds!
Finally I have a part of that engine which would appear to be an exhaust port. It came from another local diver in Bridport who got it from the engine at some point. He contacted me and offered it as momento. It has been with me for 50 years now so anyone want to make an offer??. I only gave up diving in the early 2000’s and still have stacks of gear as I ended up as a nationally qualified instructor with BSAC and SAA as well asa assistant insructor PADI and D.O. of Street Sub Aqua. It is all for sale. Great times.
09. July 2020 access_time 0:54
Hi Ron, Wow. Always interesting to hear about early diving in the UK, and especially about this aircraft. That lobster sounds like a monster, must have lived there for years, lol. I dived it back in 1993 and also heard of an engine being ‘lifted’… by a Bristol-based club ???, in the 60/70s. The sole casualty was Everett Hanna, one of the waist gunners. Died as a result of hypothermia on reaching the shore. He’d gone into the water, probably the story that the fishermen relayed to yourself re. the dinghy? Recently, pre-C19, spoke to a descendant of the fishermen in the hut (Arnold family), he still seine-net fishes from the shore with a rowing boat. More interestingly, I met the son of the pilot in Texas last Feb (2020). I did raise a fuel cap from the aircraft in 1993, (some sources of info mentioned the ‘ship’ was up-side-down, so to show otherwise, raised a fuel cap). I donated this to the 390th UK museum, Framlingham (unit’s base during WW2), but it’s now at an Ipswich museum (Suffolk Air heritage museum). Drew a sketch of the wing section for the ‘Dive Dorset’ book by John Hinchcliffe (1995).Amazingly, Lt Embree’s replacement (Dec 43) works at the USA 390th museum, he’s Richard Bushong…aged 97 !! Would it be possible to send me some photos of the engine exhaust ring, Ron ? I started diving in 1983, one of the first ‘Sports Diver’ grades (previously known as 3rd Class ). Still have my ABLJ, lol. Still dive but, only if the sea is calm and water is not too cold. Glad I checked this thread, fate, I haven’t visited this conversation/thread since I wrote the initial up-date on my return from the USA. Thanks for sharing the story 🙂 My mobile 07791032019 would love to chat further re. your initial dive on this aircraft. Made my day 🙂
14. February 2026 access_time 9:29
I just wanted to see if anyone is active on this thread? I am Lt. Embree’s grandson and am searching for as much info as I can find about this wreck etc