| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Boeing |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-85-BO: 43-38274 to 43-38473 |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 34th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 7th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | R2-O |
| MACR | 10199 |
| Fate: |
, Mid-air collision (22 September 1944) |
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History of
B-17 43-38294 / The Wrangler
Delivered Cheyenne 18/7/44; Kearney 26/7/44; Grenier 7/8/44; Assigned 7BS/34BG [R2-O] Mendlesham 9/8/44; Missing in Action Kassel 22/9/44 with Dick Whited, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Edwin Moyer, Radio Operator: Marcel Washco,Tail gunner: Wallace Brauks (4 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Myron McDermott, Navigator: Wayne Jorgenson, Bombardier: Ken Lambert, Ball turret gunner: Clayton Mink,Tail gunner: Wallace Brauks (5 Prisoner of War); mid air coll with 43-38399 (34BG), crashed Hovelriege , NW of Paderborn, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 10199. THE WRANGLER.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
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B-17 43-38294 / The Wrangler Details
Mid-air-collision with B-17 #43-38399 on 22 September 1944.
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This page was last updated on 11 February 2018
20. June 2024 access_time 0:30
My Dad James C. Sager was the Navigator of an 18th BS aircrew — Crew # 82 with Robert D. Hemingway as the pilot. B-17 43-38294 flew her 1st combat mission on 9/17/1944. She was flown by the Hemingway crew who were also flying their 1st combat mission. I have looked at lots and lots of B-17 photographs from WWII, especially Lew Funk’s, and have yet to find a photo of her. If anyone has a picture of this B-17, and would be willing to send me a copy of the picture, I would greatly appreciate it.
Such a photo is probably a rare thing. 43-38294 didn’t last very long. She wasn’t used on the next mission she was scheduled for (on Sep. 19th) , so her 2nd combat mission came on 9/22/1944. During that mission, she and another B-17, 43-38399 had an in-formation collision. Both B-17s crashed. All 9 crew members of 38399 were killed. 4 crew members from 38294 were killed and 5 members survived and became POWs. Details of this accident can be found in the valortovictory.tripod.com website, among other web locations. It bears noting that the valortovictory website is “eaten up” with junk ads. Nonetheless, it covers the activities of the 34th Bomb Group like no other website. In my opinion, it’s worth the aggravation of dealing with the ads.
Last, I have a question about 38-38294’s name The Wrangler. This name belonged to a B-24, 42-51209, that flew from Mendlesham from 7/6/1944 — 8/24/1944, completing nearly 25 combat missions. The McDermott crew of the 7th BS flew her more than anyone else did. My question is does anyone know how the name The Wrangler came to be applied to B-17 43-38294?
If anyone knows anything about 43-38294, I’d love to hear from you. Thank you.
Bruce Sager