B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-3505

History of
B-17 42-3505

Delivered Hill 14/7/43; Walla Walla 30/7/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 8/9/43; Missing in Action Bremen 29/11/43 with Bob Maupin, Navigator: Floyd Cochran, Bombardier: Chas Lail, Radio Operator: Jerry Gregory, Ball turret gunner: Jim Riley, Waist gunner: Ray Baldwin,Tail gunner: Bob Mesang (7 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Bob Zapp, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Donver Leslie, Waist gunner: Darby Bryant (3 Returned to Duty); mech fault, crashed North Sea, 35 miles off Yarmouth, Nfk. Missing Air Crew Report 3153.

Last updated: 29. January 2022

B-17 42-3505 Details

A/C #505 dropped out of formation and ditched at 1610 hours at 53° 57′ N – 03°08′ E. Four members of the crew have been found: 2nd Lt C. S. Lail is dead: 2nd Lt R. K. Zapp, T/Sgt D.R. Leslie and T/Sgt D. W. Bryant are alive and well. Other members of the crew were never located.

It Is believed by those who were rescued that all members of the crew got out of the A/C safely. One life boat could not be found and there were five men on the other. Of those five men only three were taken off. One man was taken off dead, and the others were lost sometime during the Air Sea Rescue. One man who was saved, Lt Zapp, was taken out of the water from a point a short distance from the others. The location was 25 miles off the English Coast at Lowestoft on the return trip from Bremen; Germany. Reason for ditching was lack of sufficient gasoline, it was not possible to transfer gasoline from the tokyos, to the main tanks for use.

Statement of T/Sgt. Darby W. Byrant

My observation is that the men were lost because of their inability to hold onto the life raft in the extreme cold of the wind and water of the North sea at the time until help could arrive, and also because of the inability of the small ships crew to get the men aboard because of the high running waves and roughness of the sea.

T/Sgt. Darby Worth Bryant

Source: MACR 3153

B-17 42-3505 Crew