Source:
www.385thbga.com
| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed/Vega |
| Production-Block: | , B-17F-35-VE: 42-5905 to 42-5954 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 385th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 551st Bomb Squadron |
| MACR: | 828 |
| KSU/ME/KU: | 379 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by mechanical fault (20 October 1943) |
History of
B-17 42-5913 / Shack Bunny
Delivered Long Beach 5/5/43; Kearney 30/5/43; Dow Fd 19/6/43; Assigned: 551BS/385BG Gt Ashfield 20/6/43; MIA Duren 20/10/43 Pilot: Lyle Fryer, Co-Pilot: Cliff McIlveen, Navigator: John Durakov, Bombardier: Edwin Rinkenberger, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Chester Lisiewski{evaded for a time but captured later}, Radio Operator: Bill Cokins, Ball Turret Gunner: George Good, Waist Gunner: Joe Pittman, Waist Gunner: Fred Browning, Tail Gunner: Dave Carr (10POW); mech trouble, crashed De Slek, two miles S of Echt, Holland. MACR 828. SHACK BUNNY.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 42-5913 / Shack Bunny Details
Remarks from MACR 828
A/C 913 of this Group was observed turning back at 1358 hours on a course of 15 minutes before bombs away. This was in the vicinity of Chateau d’Ardene, France. No chutes were seen coming from this aircraft.
B-17 42-5913 / Shack Bunny Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 1LT | Lyle W. Fryer | POW | - |
| CP | 2LT | Clifford G. McIlveen | POW | - |
| NAV | 1LT | John S. Durakov | POW | - |
| BOMB | 2LT | Edwin D. Rinkenberger | POW | - |
| ENG/TT | S/SGT | Chester A. Lisiewski | POW | - |
| RO | T/SGT | William G. Cokins | POW | - |
| BT | S/SGT | George A. Good | POW | - |
| WG | T/SGT | Fred Browning | POW | - |
| WG | T/SGT | Joseph F. Pittman | POW | - |
| TG | S/SGT | David E. Carr | POW | - |
This page was last updated on 02 October 2021
15. July 2025 access_time 20:50
The crew mentioned in this article were actually borrowing Shack Bunny while the original crew was on leave in London. The original crew was Pilot: Frank Walls, C/P: Jess Baker, Bombardier: James Cooper (my father). Gunner: Rudy Kunat (I think). This is the crew shown in the photograph. The aircraft was replaced with a G model for the remainder of Dad’s tour and survived the war according to him.
28. March 2026 access_time 16:48
the crew landed by parachute roughly between the villages of Slek, Sint Joost and Maria Hoop. The German search was coordinated from a farmhouse on the outskirts of Sint Joost. Nine were captured fairly quickly. Lisiewski remained evasive. The crew was brought to Sint Joost. A young boy witnessed them being rounded up at their farm and robbed from their jackets by the German soldiers who held them at gunpoint. This scene was then ended by a German officer and the jackets were returned to the airnen. From there on they were taken to a local jail for the night. Durakov was injured and was taken to a German Field hospital.