B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 42-97864 / Why Worry

History of
B-17 42-97864 / Why Worry

Delivered Tulsa 20/3/44; Kearney 1/4/44; Dow Fd 8/4/44; Assigned 728BS/452BG Deopham Green 11/4/44; Missing in Action Brux 12/5/44 with Capt Bob Patrick, Co-pilot: Bob Kerr, Navigator: John McCracken, Bombardier: Tom Lewis, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Herwig, Radio Operator: Theo Otte, Ball turret gunner: Harry Jones, Waist gunner: Millard Sherrell, Waist gunner: Joe Cadle,Tail gunner: Edmond Woods (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KOd #4, crashed Merzhausen, nine miles E of Bad Camberg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4779.

Last updated: 30. June 2024

B-17 42-97864 / Why Worry Details

Following statement made by S/Sgt. Thomas H. Wiley:

The formation was attacked by FW 190s and ME 109s. On the first pass aircraft B-17G 42-97864 was hit and #4 engine caught fire. It looked as though the engine were melting off the right horizontal stabilizer. The plane stayed in formation despite this difficulty.

The enemy aircraft made a second pass. Fire appeared in the waist of aircraft 864 and it pulled out of formation. When last observed the plane was going down out of control.

Approximately 75 parachutes were observed in the general vicinity as the fighters attacked in large numbers had knocked out quite a few planes. It was impossible to determine whether or not any of the chutes observed came from aircraft 864.

Source: MACR 4779