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

Delivered Cheyenne 31/12/42; Salina 9/1/43; Morrison 12/2/43; Homestead 17/2/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-O] Molesworth 6/3/43; transferred 323BS/91BG [OR-S] Bassingbourn 7/9/43; Missing in Action Bremen 8/10/43 with John Karp, Co-pilot: Dave Boswell, Navigator: Art Poole, Bombardier: Bernie Gabler, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Fred Hitchens, Radio Operator: Pat McLoughlin, Waist gunner: Bob Brooks (7 Prisoner of War), Ball turret gunner: Ed Davis, Waist gunner: Ed Apicella,Tail gunner: Melvin Leimas (3 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Neustadt-Wagenfeld, eight milees SE of Diepholz, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 909.

Del Cheyenne 16/1/43; Salina 27/1/43; Kearney 6/2/43; Lincoln 4/3/43; Morrison 10/3/43; Assigned 20BS/2BG Navarin 19/3/43; Chateau-du-Rhumel 27/4/43; Ain M’Lila 17/6/43; Massicault 31/7/43; Bizerte 2/12/43; Amendola 9/12/43; transferred 99BG Tortorella 28/3/44; 483BG Tortorella 31/3/43; 463BG Celone 4/44 as weather a/c; Salvaged 14/10/44. THUNDERMUG.

Delivered Cheyenne 21/6/44; Kearney 28/6/44; Dow Fd 13/7/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-J] Molesworth 28/7/44; battle damaged Dresden 15/2/45 with Larry Poole, Harley Cannon, Harry Smith, Chas Mott, Rayford Pullen, Marvin Hoke, Norman Sexton, Harry Kinsland, Beryle Kindred, H.A. Zimmerman {passenger} (10 Returned to Duty); crash landed RAF Lakenheath, Sfk., UK; Salvaged 17/2/45. PRINCESS PAT II.

Delivered Denver 6/10/42; New Castle 19/10/42; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-U] Molesworth 1/2/43; battle damaged Bremen 28/11/43 with Harry Bolsover, Co-pilot: Chas Rice, Navigator: Byron Clark, Bombardier: Chas McLain, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Marvin Powell, Ball turret gunner: Francis Joubert, Waist gunner: Joe Robichaud Wounded in Action, Waist gunner: Chas Robb,Tail gunner: Jack Perryman Wounded in Action (9 Returned to Duty), Radio Operator: Ray Roberts (Killed in Action); flak KO’d two engines, crash landed Attlebridge, Sfk. Salvaged 13/12/43. FAST WOMAN aka FAST WORKER Mk II.

Delivered Salt Lake City 7-Sep-40; MAAD for de-icing equipment fitted 11-Nov-41; Amarillo 16-Jul-43; Written off 7-Aug-43. Aircraft never used in combat and never served in the UK.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Kearney 16/12/43; Chicago 21/12/43; New York 23/12/43; Presque Is 25/12/43; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-C] Molesworth 13/1/44; on mission to Landsberg 24/4/44 group nav Bill Kelly (Killed in Action); Missing in Action Augsburg 19/7/44 with Marvin Boyce, Co-pilot: Bob Taylor, Navigator: Melvin Brown, Bombardier: Stan Moody, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Hobart Byrne (5 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Jim Jones, Ball turret gunner: Bob Baker, Waist gunner: Bill Shokai,Tail gunner: Sid Chambers (4 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Tutzing, SW of Munich, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 7415. LITTLE PRINCESS aka CLOVER LEAF.

Delivered Lincoln 21/9/44; Dow Fd 6/10/44; Assigned 303BG Molesworth 28/9/44; transferred 391BS/34BG Mendlesham 29/9/44; 4BS; force landed Creil, France with Floyd Gast 21/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 20/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 23/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 18/12/45. FAST COMPANY.

Delivered Lincoln 25/9/44; Grenier 7/10/44; Assigned 303BG Molesworth 22/11/44; transferred 750BS/457BG [N] Glatton 23/11/44; crashed on take off for Merzhausen 24/12/44 with Carl Sundbaum, rest ?; crashed Holme, near base, UK, Waist gunner: Don Peacock (Killed in Action); Salvaged.

Delivered March Field 23-Feb-40; Amarillo 15-Jul-42; Hendricks Fd, with C.B. Hackett 10-Sep-42 force landed base ; Written off 4-Oct-42.Never used in combat, never served in the UK.

Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-Q] Bangor 3-Oct-42; Molesworth 22-Oct-42. On 23-Nov-43 the aircraft flown by Maj. George L. Robinson was the lead aircraft of the 303BG formation in the attack on the U-Boat Pens at St. Nazaire, France on the 4th mission for the Group. The aircraft was damaged by flak and the Navigator, Capt Harold Fulghum, thinking that the flak had killed the pilot, baled out of the aircraft and was taken Prisoner. No MACR issued. On 4-Apr-43 the aircraft was declared Missing in Action on a mission to bomb the Renault Armament Works at Paris, France. Shot down by enemy aircraft and crashed at Bocasse, 12 miles N of Rouen, France. 6KIA 4POW MACR 15069

Delivered Cheyenne 27/5/44; Hunter 6/6/44; Grenier 15/6/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-A] Molesworth 27/6/44; Missing in Action Weisbaden 15/8/44 with Capt Arnold Litman, Co-pilot: Larry Stein, Navigator: Wayne Krouskup, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Card, Radio Operator: Fred Meyer, Ball turret gunner: Bill Trunsdell(was caught on ground but escaped from military prison in Laon soon after), Waist gunner: Manely Grissom,Tail gunner: Clarry Williams (8 evaded capture); Bombardier: Larry Wolf (Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crash landed Beine-Nauroy, E of Reims, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 8440. FEARLESS FOSDICK.

Delivered Cheyenne 23/8/44; Lincoln 2/9/44; Grenier 6/9/44; Assigned 94BG Rougham 8/9/44; transferred 359BS/303BG [BN-E] Molesworth 23/10/44; 360BS [PU-C]; 457BG Glatton 26/5/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 9/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 30/11/45. LUCILLE.

Delivered March Field 6-Mar-41; MacDill 3-Mar-42; crashed out of limits of continental USA; Written off 6-Aug-42. Never used in combat, never served in the UK.

Delivered Cheyenne 15/3/44; Kearney 31/3/44; Dow Fd 4/4/44; Assigned 94BG Rougham 8/4/44; transferred 427BS/303BG [GN-X] Molesworth 22/4/44; battle damaged Kyllburg, Ger 8/1/45 with Georger Richter (Porter?), crash landed base, Salvaged 2 SAD 9/1/45. MISS LACE.

Delivered Cheyenne 27/11/43; Grand Island 5/12/43; Presque Is 17/12/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-U] Molesworth 14/1/4; crashed on take off Winwick, Huntingdonshire, 9/4/44, with John McGarry, Co-pilot: Willie Cotham, Navigator: Bob Halligan, Bombardier: Ken Foe, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Henry Grace, Radio Operator: Steve Stuphar (6 Killed in Service); Ball turret gunner: Ira Friedman, Waist gunner: Ervin Hilborn, Waist gunner: Mike Vargas,Tail gunner: Walt Kowalonek (4 inj, but later Returned to Duty); Salvaged 11/4/44, after burnt out and causing damage in the village. (Back in April 2010 the #2 engine throttle handle was found at crash site by a man with metal detector, and subsequent research put him in touch with pilot’s family to hand over the memento). Missing Air Crew Report 5019 & Missing Air Crew Report 15582. THE SPIRIT OF FLAK WOLF.

Delivered Cheyenne 29/10/44; Hunter 16/11/44; Grenier 20/12/44; Assigned 358BS/303BG [VK-Y] Molesworth 17/1/45; crashed on take off for Dresden 15/2/45 with Werner Goering, Don Waltesz, Herb Hanson, Jim Buckner (ex nav), Bill Condor, Ray Eckert, Paul Johnson, Joe Blinebury, Joe Gordon (9 Returned to Duty); Salvaged 16/2/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 6/4/43; Colorado Springs 16/4/43; Patterson 18/4/43; Peterson 5/5/43; Dow Fd 30/5/43; Assigned 1 Photo GP Buckley 1/6/44; 2 Ph GP Buckley 2/8/44; 91 Ph Map Gp Buckley 12/9/44; 311 Ph Wing Buckley 6/2/45; 4100 BU Patterson 26/5/45; 3 WER Grenier 5/6/45; 3 WER McChord 19/6/45; 53 RCN McChord 21/7/45; 1 WER Grenier 14/8/45; 53 RCN Grenier 23/8/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 24/1/46.

Delivered Denver 20/2/43; Presque Is 19/4/43; Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-N] Molesworth 2/6/43; on training flight 4/8/43 crashed Arenig Fawr Mt, Bala, Merioneth, Wales with Jim Pratt, Co-pilot: Bill Bowling, Navigator: Allan Boner, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Walt Johnson, Radio Operator: Fred Royar, Waist gunner: Walt Robinson, Waist gunner: Phil Simonte, pass-Alf Van Dyke (8 Killed in Service). Apart from tail unit, aircraft was burnt out, Salvaged.

Delivered Denver 19/8/43; Scott 16/9/43; Assigned 360BS/303BG [PU-N] Molesworth 18/10/43; crash landed on local flight landing on grass beside runway when u/c failed 10/12/43, with John Long, Co-pilot: Amon Earhart, Navigator: George Carroll, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Gray, Radio Operator: Ralph Jennings, pass-Parido Deloore, Taldino Teshone, Frank DeMario, Arnold Thompson, (9 Returned to Duty); sal 2nd SAD Lt Staughton 11/12/43.

Assigned 358BG/303BG [VK-H] Kellog Field, Battle Creek, Michigan on 14-Sep-42; Arrived at Molesworth, UK 16-Oct-42. 23-Jan-43 despatched on mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. The aircraft sustained damage from flak over the target. The pilot, 1LT George J. Oxrider ordered his crew of nine to bail out over the south coast of England after limping home with only one engine operating. He landed “Werewolf” on the grounds of a mental hospital at Dawlish. It was originally thought to be beyond repair. The VIII Service command later decided to repair the B-17 and fly it out. They changed three engines, and cleared trees, walls, and hedges to made a 2,500 foot runway. The take-off was successful and it was flown to Honington Air Depot for further major repairs. On 22 April 43, after repairs were completed, it was transferred to 91BG/401BS where it remained for two months. Salvaged 23-Jan-43 and repaired at Honington AD then transferred 401BS/91BG [LL-G] Bassingbourn 22-Apr-43; no missions 3 AAD Langford Lodge 11-Jun-43; 2 SAD Lt Staughton 14-Jun-43; CCRC Bovingdon; Salvaged NBD 18-Jun-45. WEREWOLF.