| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Douglas |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-15-DL: 42-37804 to 42-37893 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 305th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 365th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | XK-K |
| MACR | 8069 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by enemy aircraft (09 August 1944) |
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History of
B-17 42-37881 / Leap Year Lady
Delivered Denver 2/10/43; Gr Island 22/10/43; Assigned 365BS/305BG [XK-K] Chelveston 23/11/43; Missing in Action Ulm 9/8/44 with John Hegendeffer, Co-pilot: Rolland Wing, Ball turret gunner: Bill Horst, Waist gunner: Bill Montandon,Tail gunner: Jack Thaldorf (5 Killed in Action); Navigator: Bill Packwood, Bombardier: Herman Steck, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Elroy Knollenberg, Radio Operator: Dan Gurspan (4 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft set #1 on fire and another damaged, spinning down aircraft broke in two, crashed Halberstung, near Sinzheim, W of Baden-Baden, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 8069. LEAP YEAR LADY.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
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This page was last updated on 10 April 2018
11. January 2020 access_time 1:01
My Father Ira E Benbow S/Sgt tail gunner in the aircraft Leap Year Lady named by first commanding pilot after his girlfriend sent home town paper with a horse with that name listed in the sports section winning a race. My Father was with the first crew who flew 26 successful missions in this B-17 from Dec 13, 1943 thru Apr 22, 1944. The plane was lost in August 1944.
11. January 2020 access_time 11:33
Thank you for sharing these facts!
16. December 2023 access_time 20:15
My uncle, Elmer Stallmann, was a gunner on that plane. It must have been in it’s second set of 25 missions. He died on June 26, 1944 from shrapnel hitting his gunner turret. The rest of the crew survived to complete their 25 missions. I knew that that plane was lost later that year. Thank you for the additional info. I have a photo of that crew in front of Leap Year Lady.
05. March 2025 access_time 1:35
My Grandfather was the co-pilot of the Leap Year Lady, Rolland Wing. Thank you for this info. I had found actual footage of the plane being shot down, but the content has since been removed. Want to know if anyone has come across this video?
23. July 2025 access_time 17:21
I’ve found this footage here
https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/w6z5dq/b17g_flying_fortress_4237881_leap_year_lady_in/