B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97489

History of
B-17 42-97489

Delivered Cheyenne 30/11/43; Kearney 11/12/43; Presque Is 22/12/43; Assigned 326BS/92BG [JW-F] Podington 23/1/44; crashed on take off for Orly, Fr, burned 20/5/44 with Jim Wiggins, Co-pilot: Luther Smith, Navigator: Chas Herzberg, Bombardier: Bob Keyser, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ralph Villani, Radio Operator: Harry Howard (6 Killed in Service); Ball turret gunner: George Doran, Waist gunner: Claudio Mendozzi, Waist gunner: Joe Lambert,Tail gunner: Ed Wozniak (4RTD-all injured); Salvaged. (‘934 had stopped halfway down runway following a signal from control tower due to an earlier accident at end of runway and apparently the pilot of ‘489 did not see it, ploughing into ‘934, both exploded and burnt out.)

Last updated: 29. January 2018