42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer | B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress

B-17 #42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer — **Source:**
www.91stbombgroup.com

Production-block:
B-17F-5-VE: 42-5710 to 42-5724

Manufacturer:
Boeing

Bomb Group:
91st Bomb Group

Bomb Squadron:
322nd Bomb Squadron

RCL: LG-S

Fate:

MACR: 283

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History of
B-17 42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer

Delivered Cheyenne 20/8/42; Wayne 6/11/42; West Palm Beach, Fl 14/12/43; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-S] Bassingbourn 1/1/43 HEAVYWEIGHT ANNIHILATORS II; battle damaged 22/6/43, repaired & transferred 324BS; {17m} crash landed Manston on return from Schweinfurt 17/8/43 with Jim Judy, Co-pilot: Roger Layn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Earl Cherry{Wounded in Action} (3 Returned to Duty); Navigator: Ed DeCoster, Bombardier: Lewis Allen, Radio Operator: Virgil Faust, Ball turret gunner: Chas Baiano, Waist gunner: Ray Tarbell, Waist gunner: Vince Lala,Tail gunner: Paul Burton (7 Prisoner of War); severe damage by flak with 500+ holes but remaining crew brought aircraft back to crash landed on grass at RAF Manston, UK; Salvaged Cat E. Missing Air Crew Report 283. MY PRAYER.

Source: The B-17 Flying Fortress Story (Affiliate-Link/CommissionsEarned)

Last updated: 4. September 2022

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B-17 42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer Details

Damaged by flak on first Schweinfurt-Raid. Had 500+ holes but returned and crash landed in UK.

42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer

Transcription from MACR 283

This A/C reached a point 15 – 20 miles Southeast of Frankfurt. Three 20mm hits exploded in left wing and directly under the pilots compartment, setting fire to A/C. Immediately the navigator and bombardiert bailed out. Due to smoke and fire the pilot temporatily lost control of the A/C but was able to brint it out of slow spin at 6000 feet. Bombs were released safe by the pilot pulling emergency release. The top turret gunner who was already wounded in leg and chest fought the fires in pilots compartment while the co-pilot was act, directing the ditching of the waist gunners, radio operator and tail gunner. Co-pilot Layn saw to it that all harness adjustments were made before these men jumped. It was necessary to use force in some cases as the men would have jumped with their chutes improperly adunsted.

Layn stated that all chutes opened properly. All during this time there were persistent enemy attacks. After learning that Cherry was wounded and burned and that Cherry’s parachute had burned up, Lt. Judy decided to try and make home; fires broke out intermittently but were brought under control by Cherry and Layn who in their spare time continued to fire at the enemy fighters.

Layn burned out both waist guns. Judy immediately lost altitude until he was at 100 feet then came across enemy and enemy occupied territory on a sig sag course. Landing was made at Manston, England. T/Sgt. Cherry was hospitalised at Manston.

This observation was made by 2Lt. James D. Judy

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B-17 42-5712 / Heavy Weight Annihilators No. 2 aka My Prayer Crew

Position	Rank	Name	Status	Note
P	2LT	James D. Judy	RTD	-
CP	2LT	Roger Layn	RTD	-
NAV	2LT	Edward J. DeCoster	POW	-
BOMB	2LT	Lewis W. Allen	POW	-
ENG/TT	T/SGT	Earl Cherry	RTD	-
RO	T/SGT	Virgil G. Faust	POW	-
BT	S/SGT	Charles A. Baiano	POW	-
WG	S/SGT	Ray G. Tarbell	POW	-
WG	S/SGT	Vincent P. Lala	POW	-
TG	S/SGT	Paul F. Burton	POW	-

Lou Varricchio
09. December 2019 14:55

Hi: A small correction. “My Prayer” co-pilot is Roger Layne (not Lane). Thanks.

b17flyingfortress.de
09. December 2019 15:01

Roger Layne? Or Roger Layn? I asked some one, who know’s the co-pilot. Based on his information, the co-pilot is still alive.

I will update his name, when I got it 😉

b17flyingfortress.de
09. December 2019 18:30

The source said, correct name is Roger Layn. So, I have updated the name in the description.

Tim Wilkins
25. March 2020 23:51

My father flew as a gunner on My Prayer and on a mission they flew over Varesa, Italy. I don’t know their target. Any I am formation would be apprrciated.

b17flyingfortress.de
17. May 2020 20:22

Hello Tim, what’s you father’s name? Do you know his unit?

Seth
06. June 2020 14:45

I do believe his name is Roger Layne, in The Valley Voice magazine, it said his plane was caught on fire and that he was also the co-pilot of the plane. This is the link to the page. http://www.vvoice.org/?module=displaystory&story_id=3666&format=print&edition_id=562

Seth
06. June 2020 14:50

I’m sorry, I cannot seem to read properly. It is Roger Layn.

b17flyingfortress.de
06. June 2020 14:51

Don’t worry.
Everything is fine 🙂

b17flyingfortress.de
06. June 2020 14:50

Hello Seth,

yes, Roger Layn (without e in his lastname).

Thank you for sharing the web site.

Steven A Ingraham
16. October 2022 16:05

Seth, I’m not sure if you will read this very soon but, I’m in the process of doing an oil painting of “My Prayer” landing at the Manston RAF airfield on it’s final mission. Unfortunately I can not find any photos of the damage to the B-17. It was bad enough to write off the aircraft. I done know if Mr. Layn is still alive or not but I’m still looking for more information on the damage to My Prayer. Any additional information would be appreciated.

Steven A Ingraham
30. November 2021 19:14

I was reading a book on the 91st BG and according to the book it was Sgt. Earl Cherry that was critically wounded and did not have a parachute. That was why the Pilot decided to stay with the aircraft. I see you have Sgt. Earl Cherry listed as POW and the Navigator as RTD. From what I have read Cherry should be listed as RTD and DeCoster as POW. The name of the book is “The Ragged Irregulars of Bassingbourn – The 91st Bombardment Group in Work War II” by Marion H. Havelaar.