B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies Latest entries in the database

Delivered Lincoln 21/9/44; Grenier 12/10/44; Assigned 20BS/2BG Amendola 19/10/44; detailed bombing Schwechat Oil Refinery in Vienna 21/1/45 with Pilot: Alvin Notheis, Co-pilot: B.L. Bill, Navigator: Paul Stephens, Bombardier: Bill Scott, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Koden, Radio Operator: Bob Cheney, Ball turret gunner: Bob Train, Waist gunner: Paul Surprenant, Waist gunner: Vic Lennon, Tail gunner: Lewis Waters. All 10 Returned to Duty. Slightly damaged when crash-landed field near Debreczen, Hungary; eventually Russian engineering personnel use a tail wheel from German aircraft to repair B-17 which crew flew to Miskoloz airfield where ship was serviced and fuelled for ride back to base; Returned to the USA Bradley 12/7/45; Independence 16/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 7/1/46. Missing Air Crew Report 11542.

Assigned 92BG Bangor 14/7/42; transferred 414BS/97BG Polebrook 24/8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; Tafaraoui 22/11/42; Biskra 25/12/42; Missing in Action Bizerte 26/12/42 with Tom Borders, Co-pilot: Fleming Goolsby, Navigator: Walsh, Bombardier: Hoden, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sread, Eaton, Radio Operator: Elliott, Ball turret gunner: Tyler, Waist gunner: West, Waist gunner: Swedo,Tail gunner: DuPaul (10 Killed in Action); direct flak, exploded, no survivors; Missing Air Crew Report 16150. BIRMINGHAM BLITZKREIG.

Assigned 92BG Bangor 14/7/42; 341BS/97BG Polebrook 8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; Tafaraoui 22/11/42; Biskra 25/12/42; bombed on base by Luftwaffe 10/1/43; Salvaged.

Assigned 92BG Bangor 1/8/42; 341BS/97BG Polebrook 19/8/42; Maison Blanche 13/11/42; Tafaraoui 22/11/42; Biskra 25/12/42; Chateau-du-Rhumel 8/2/43; Pont-du-Fahs 1/8/43; Depienne 15/8/43; Cerignola 20/12/43; Amendola 16/1/44; Salvaged 9/11/44 {100m}. THUNDERBIRD.

Delivered SAAD 9/7/42; Lowry 20/7/42; Assigned 8AF but not sent, damaged Duncan Fd, Tex. with Frank Gillespie 25/7/42, rep, then landing accident with E.L. Chrisman 30/7/45, and again with Jack Bray at Lowry 14/9/42, rep; New Castle 11/10/42; Middleton 2/1/43; Salina 25/1/43; Gowen 5/3/43; Wendover 29/5/43; Tinker 26/6/43; Written off 18/10/44; Recl Comp 20/3/46.

Delivered Patterson 5/9/44; Lincoln 12/9/44; Grenier 18/9/44; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 25/9/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 30/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 3/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 18/12/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 10/3/44; Kearney 6/4/44; Grenier 11/4/44; Assigned 600BS/398BG [N8-A] Nuthampstead 6/5/44; 601BG; Missing in Action 4/3/45 with Hoelzel, AOC 12/3/45; transferred 2 SAD Abbotts Ripton and ret group

Delivered Cheyenne 8/3/44; Gr Island 29/3/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 600BS/398BG [N8-F] Nuthampstead 26/4/44; repaired Missing in Action 25/2/45 with Sheffer, AOC 26/2/45 after mission; ret. 6/4/45; transferred RAF Valley 21/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 25/5/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 29/5/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 4/12/45.

Delivered Lincoln 7/11/44; Grenier 3/12/44; Assigned 20BS/2BG Amendola 15/12/44; transferred 483BG Sterparone 5/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 23/9/46; Recl Comp 19/11/47.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Grenier 15/4/44; Assigned 603BS/398BG [N7-N] Nuthampstead 28/4/44; 602BS [K8-N]; was on weather flight 28/10/44 with Lt K.S. Hastings, crash landed base; Salvaged 2 SAD Abbotts Ripton 29/10/44.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow Fd 2/4/44; Assigned 603BS/398BG [N7-F] Nuthampstead 26/4/44; detailed Ludwigshafen 8/9/44 with ? , (8 Returned to Duty), Waist gunner: Don Colbert (Killed in Action); with Vince Moore on practice mission, crash landed base 21/10/44; one crewman KIS; Salvaged 23/10/44.

Delivered Tulsa 9/10/42; Wayne 14/11/42; Salina 19/1/43; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-T] Bassingbourn 23/3/43; Missing in Action 9m St Nazaire 28/6/43 with Ed Brodnax, Co-pilot: John Kaufman, Navigator: Bill Deal, Bombardier: Bill Lakey, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gustav Lund, Radio Operator: Ken Dunbar, Waist gunner: Jim Wright, Ball turret gunner: John Mikkelson (8 Killed in Action), Waist gunner: John Smith,Tail gunner: Virgil Anderson (2 Prisoner of War); KO’d by heavy flak, ditched Channel, survivors picked up by French. Missing Air Crew Report 15710. (possibly MARNITA earlier) THUNDERBIRD No. 2.

Delivered Hunter 6/11/44; Grenier 22/11/44; Assigned 49BS/2BG Amendola 27/11/44; transferred (?483BG Sterparone?); 772BS/463BG Celone; crash landed base 24/4/45 with Bob Elder kia, crew?; Salvaged 25/4/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/44; Kearney 5/4/44; Grenier 14/4/44; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-F] Framlingham 20/4/44; Missing in Action Dusseldorf 9/9/44 with Bob Gallagher, Co-pilot: Merrill Redda, Ball turret gunner: Joe Costa,Tail gunner: Len Gilkey (4 Killed in Action); Navigator: Chas Yandell, Bombardier: Ed Marshall, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Pfc Bill Ballard, Radio Operator: Andy Hayes, Waist gunner: Ed Kuseck (5 Prisoner of War); flak, engine on fire which set off explosion and aircraft spun in on bank of Ennepe Dam, S of Hagen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 8916.

B-17F 42-2975 was assigned 423BS/306BG Presque Is 17-Nov-42; Molesworth 25-Nov-42. This was the first B-17 built by Douglas Aircraft Company under license with Boeing to go MIA with the 8th AF. Shot down 30-Dec-42 by enemy aircraft upon return from a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft made a late takeoff and was unable to join with the 306BG formation, so it tagged along with the 305BG. 1POW 9KIA MACR 15079.

Delivered Cheyenne 13-Sep-42; New Castle 11-Oct-42; Assigned 423BS/306BG [RD-F] Thurleigh 29-Nov-1942. The aircraft was attacked by German fighters on the way to bomb the U-Boat pens at St, Nazaire, France on 16-Feb-43. The aircraft crashed near Guillac, France. 7KIA, 1POW 2EVD. MACR 15472

Delivered Lincoln 1/11/44; Grenier 3/12/44; Assigned 775BS/463BG Celone 15/12/44; on return from Pomigliano on ferry flight 26/5/45 with Bob Lowe, Martin, Richardson; all three crew killed.

Delivered Denver 17/1/44; MacDill 30/1/44; Assigned 816BS/483BG Sterparone 12/3/44; transferred 346BS/99BG Tortorella 31/3/44; 71m 5th BW HQ 8/10/44 as hack for Gen Charles Lawrence; Returned to the USA 902 BU Orlando 4/5/45; 64 BU Andrews 13/6/45; 1377 BU Grenier 5/7/45; 2114 BU Lockbourn 17/7/45; Recl Comp 9/4/46. GLITTERING GAL.

Delivered Denver 2/2/44; 1SAG Langley 11/3/44; Grenier 3/5/44; Assigned (H2X) 482BG Alconbury 9/5/44; transferred 350BS/100BG Thorpe Abbotts 20/5/45; re-ass AAF 30/4/47; Recl Comp 19/11/47.

Delivered Cheyenne 23/1/44; Grand Island 7/2/44; Grenier 22/2/44; Presque Isle 28/2/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-R] Thorpe Abbotts 3/3/44; 418BS [LD-E] after taxi accident with Earl Culmore 19/4/45; Salvaged 21/4/45; {102m} and used as hack for Col Jeffrey; Returned to the USA 3505 BU Scott 19/9/45; re-ass 8AF Dutch-Belgian coast 26/12/46; Recl Comp 19/11/47. SILVER DOLLAR.