B-17 Flying Fortress B-17 44-6158 / Sky Monster

History of
B-17 44-6158 / Sky Monster

Delivered Tulsa 16/5/44; Kearney 29/5/44; Grenier 29/6/44; Assigned 327BS/92BG [UX-U] Podington 17/7/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 13/9/44 with Elvin Hendrickson, Co-pilot: Joe Bacun, Navigator: Carl Murray, Bombardier: Walt Prebis, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Milton Mackey,Tail gunner: Glade Sickels (6 Returned to Duty); Radio Operator: Bill Post (Prisoner of War); Ball turret gunner: Bob Shackleford, Waist gunner: Frank Wisilosky (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft caused battle damage but it limped home to RAF Woodbridge, Sfk, UK, an ELG; Missing Air Crew Report 8881. SKY MONSTER.

Last updated: 11. September 2020

B-17 44-6158 / Sky Monster Details

When flak hit us, the ship was thrown under the ship to our left. When we regained control of the ship, we heard someone asking over the interphone “Does anyone hear me”, which was repeated twice. that was the tail guner who could not hear us as we spoke. The VHF and commanc sets were knocked out. The pilot told me, the-copilot, to go to the rear of the plane to find out the trouble. As I passed through the bomb bay, chaff and wood splinters were spread all over the bombs. The door from bomb bay to radio was gone as was the entire radio roo except for the left side of the fuselage. I saw the tail gunner as he moved around in the waist. By sign language I told him there was no radio interphone and inquired as to his oxygen supply. He indicated he had sufficient oxygen and motioned me back to the cockpit. He had a first aid kit in his hand and started working on the waist gunner who was wrapped around the ball turret. As it later turned out, the ball and waist gunners must have been killed immediately by the hit. The radio man was seen to fall out with the radio room and no chute was seen to open by other crews.

2Lt. Joseph Bacun
Co-Pilot, Air Corps

Source: MACR 8881

B-17 44-6158 / Sky Monster Crew