B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97400 / Little Stinker aka Fuddy Duddy

History of
B-17 42-97400 / Little Stinker aka Fuddy Duddy

Delivered Cheyenne 26/2/44; Kearney 12/3/44 (LT Edward H. Grossheim crew, as “Little Stinker”); Dow Fd 5/4/44 (LT Edward H. Grossheim crew, as “Little Stinker”); Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 7/4/44 (renamed “Fuddy Duddy”); Missing in Action Misburg 30/12/44 with Wylie Leverett, Bob Mihovich, Jim Tiffany, Bob Hildebrandt, Roy Davis, Edwin Haynia, Earl Danhour (7 Killed in Action); Larry Adler, Harry Hunt (2 Prisoner of War); mid air coll, crashed Unterneudorf (57km SE of Darmstadt; 57km SW of Würzburg), Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 11228. LITTLE STINKER (before UK) aka FUDDY DUDDY.

Last updated: 22. August 2021

B-17 42-97400 / Little Stinker aka Fuddy Duddy Details

Mid-air-collision with B-17G #43-38473 on 30 December 1944.

Remarks or Eyewitness Statements:

Aircraft #42-97400 and 43-38473 collided at 1502 hours at 5055N-0910E at 26500 feet, in vicinity of I.P. #478 flying in No. 2 position of low section im lead squadron and #400 flying #4 of low section lead squadron. #473 lost altitude and #400 gained altitude at the same time. Reason for this is unknown, but believed prop wash responsible. #400 had fuselage cut into two and went into clouds in uncontrolled spin. Elevators of #473 were sheared off and it, two, disappeared into clouds out of control. No chutes observed from either plane.

Source: MACR 11228

B-17 42-97400 / Little Stinker aka Fuddy Duddy Crew