B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-5917 / Bouncin Bitch

History of
B-17 42-5917 / Bouncin Bitch

Delivered Long Beach 5/5/43; Kearney 26/5/43; Dow Fd 2/6/43; Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-Y] Kimbolton 21/6/43; 526BS [LF-Y]; At the time she went down her Fuselage Code had been changed from LF-Y to LF-L. Missing in Action Hamburg 25/7/43 with Phillip Mohr, Co-pilot: Hugh Brooks, Navigator: Albert Batich, Bombardier: Ben Elms, Waist gunner: Earl Callaway, Waist gunner: Gene Lescarbeau (6 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Josh Tipps, Radio Operator: John Heslin, Ball turret gunner: Reg Layfield,Tail gunner: Ralph Leyh (4 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft and flak, crashed Ritzerau, near Molin, 30 NE of Hamburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1767.

Last updated: 27. January 2018

B-17 42-5917 / Bouncin Bitch Details

Pilot 2Lt. Phillip A. Mohr :

“I was piloting our B-17 with a 10 men crew when our ship was knocked by German flak. Six of us bailed out safely and the rest met their death. Heslin got out the ship o.k. but his chute didn’t open. The next day I helped lead his body into a cart.”

“S/Sgt. Leyh was killed as a result of 20 mm from enemy fighters. I was piloting a B-17 with a 10 men crew when our ship was knocked out by German flak. Six of us bailed out safely. The rest met their deaths. Leyh died in the ship before it crashed. The next day I helped lead his body in a cart with the other deceased crew members.”

B-17 42-5917 / Bouncin Bitch Crew