B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-5397

History of
B-17 42-5397

Delivered Cheyenne 2/12/42; New Castle 15/12/42; Assigned 352BS/301BG Biskra 9/1/43; Ain M’Lila 17/1/43; St Donat 6/3/43; Oudna 6/8/43; 61 missions. Transferred to 49BS/2BG Massicault 14/11/43; Missing in Action on 1st mission, to Eleusis airfield, Athens 18/11/43 with Dick Flournoy, Co-pilot: Joe Cotton, Navigator: Jim Wagner, Bombardier: Ernie Skorheim, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Russ Leonard, Radio Operator: Jack Farley, Ball turret gunner: Bob Steel, Waist gunner: Ed Nowak, Waist gunner: Fred Glor,Tail gunner: Tom Reich (10 evaded capture); Crash landed on Corfu; eventually the Greeks rowed them to the mainland, then finally an Italian sub-chaser took the crew to Bari, Italy for a spell in hospital; Missing Air Crew Report 1200.

Last updated: 22. August 2020

B-17 42-5397 Details

The plane crash landed 18 Nov 43 at 1300 hours on the Island of Corfu. Flak over the target shot out the Engine 3 and 4 and damaged Engines 1 and 2 and the radio equipment. There was no fire or crew injuries. No member of the crew was injured upon landing. The plane did not explode on crash landing and the crew attemped to destroy aircraft by fire but were not successful. The ball turret, props, engines and landing gear wrecked upon landing and the fuselage was also damaged. All crew members returned to Allied territory safely.

1Lt. James M. Wagner

We crash-landed near Levkimmi Pt. on Corfu Island on 18 November 1943 at about 1300 hours. None of the crew members were injured or killed before we crash-landed nor did any of them bail out. The plane was unable to be burned and the only damage substained was the inoperative condition of number two and three engines – the necessity for the crash-landing, being hit by flak. All members of the crew returned safely to Allied territory.

1Lt. Joseph F. Cotton

Source: MACR 1200

B-17 42-5397 Crew