| General | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed/Vega |
| Production-Block: | , B-17G-50-VE: 44-8101 to 44-8200 |
| Delievered: | Dallas |
| Operational History | |
|---|---|
| Bomb Group: | , 385th Bomb Group, 94th Bomb Group |
| Bomb Squadron: | , 333rd Bomb Squadron, 548th Bomb Squadron |
| RCL | HR-V |
| MACR | 9516 |
| KSU/ME/KU: | KU-3119 |
| Fate: |
, Lost by enemy aircraft (06 October 1944) |
History of
B-17 44-8143
Delivered Dallas 23/6/44; Langley 26/7/44; Dow Fd 13/8/44; Assigned 333BS/94BG Rougham 15/8/44; transferred 548BS/385BG [HR-V] Gt Ashfield 19/8/44; Missing in Action Berlin 6/10/44 with Capt Jack Batty, Capt Edwin Herron, Mike Galicia, Lou DiNicola, Lt Bill Daniels {mickey op}, Ellwood Maxam, Lt Edgar Griffith {tg}, (7 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed 3km south of Senzke, Germany [50km west of Berlin]; 7KIA 3POW; Missing Air Crew Report 9516.
Information may include corrections and additions based on Jing’s research.
B-17 44-8143 Details
In the book Ghosts of Bad Tolz, written by T. R. McGhee – nephew of Robert M. McGhee Jr – is a very detailed description for the mission on October the 1944.
Remarks from Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 9516
At 1206 hours and at the I.P., the 385th “B” Group, flying High Group in the 4 “B” Combat Wing, peeled off and took its position for the bomb run. At 1207 hours, enemy fighters attacked in mass formation from the rear and above, coming out of the clouds. The first attack reduced the Group strength to 2 aircraft (which two is undetermined). The fighters then returned and in another mass attack, using the same tactics, shot down the remaining two. Attacks were very aggressive and sudden. Groups ahead report that several aircraft were seen to blow up and spin down. Some chutes were also observed, but due to the confusion and number of aircraft going down it is undetermined from what aircraft the chutes came.
No exact information of the attack is available because no aircraft of the Group concerned returned.
Estimate as to the number of enemy aircraft range from 25 to 70 conventional types, presumed to be either Me 109’s or FW 190’s.
Further information as it becomes available will be forwarded.
Source: MACR 9516
B-17 44-8143 Crew
| Position | Rank | Name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | CPT | Jack G. W. Batty | KIA | - |
| CP | CPT | Erwin R. Herron | KIA | - |
| NAV | 1LT | Josepp L. Jones | POW | - |
| BOMB | 1LT | Robert M. McGhee | POW | - |
| ENG/TT | T/SGT | Michael A. Galicia | KIA | - |
| RO | T/SGT | Louis P. DiNicola | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Ellwood C. Maxam | KIA | - |
| WG | S/SGT | Casper R. D. Fields | POW | - |
| TG | 2LT | Edgar E. Griffith | KIA | - |
| RCM | 1LT | William G. Daniels | KIA | - |
This page was last updated on 15 March 2026
24. September 2019 access_time 23:39
Thank you for publishing this data. My grandfather was on this plane on October 6, 1944. He detailed his event clearly on typed format. I did not know if you would have any more information on this craft. I have the Survivor and Kill sheet for all eleven bombers in the group.
28. February 2020 access_time 19:45
My father was Joseph L. Jones. He passed away in Oct 2017 at the age of 95. I would love to see any information that you would be willing to share.
13. July 2020 access_time 2:46
Dear Susan,
It is dear to me I would share this information with you. I believe Joseph Jones and my grandfather Robert McGhee Jr. had fought their way off the plane as the last three survivors.
I will email you a photo of the Survivor and Kill sheet to you as soon as you contact me by email. It is also viewable in Ghosts of Bad Tolz in the last pages of the book. It can be downloaded free on Prime.
If you have any questions I will try my best to fulfill your inquiries. Currently I am working on a third book to followup and complete the last three chapters.
There are numerous artifacts I have that will be displayed for the book Letters of War. I will touch on Lieutenant Jones story with Robert again. Eventually both books will also be converted to Audio. However, I will not do Kindle with Letters of War.
I thought it may be important to you to know there is a picture of Lieutenant Jones on the American Air Museum of Great Britain. I found this picture and was astounded of the clarity and hidden story it told. It seem to have completed the story my grandfather told on his last moments on the plane 44-8143.
I have plenty of correspondence letters on the event. I would love to share.
Please feel free to contact me anytime.
13. July 2020 access_time 8:18
Here is a link to Joseph Jones with photo. It is connected [linked] to my grandfather’s page
13. July 2020 access_time 8:31
Here is a link to Joseph Jones with photo. It is connected [linked] to my grandfather’s page.
http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/134992
03. August 2020 access_time 2:30
August 3, 2020–As I speak the third Chapter of Letters of War is being written. This book will reference Lt. Jones also found on the online museum (above).