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

Delivered Denver 11/9/43; Scott Fd 23/9/43; Assigned 379BG Kimbolton 7/10/43; transferred 511BS/351BG [DS-Q] Polebrook 21/10/43; Missing in Action 26m Landsberg-am-Lech A/fd 18/3/44 with George Mears, Co-pilot: Russell Ward, Navigator: Jim Mahaffey, Bombardier: Rich Davis, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sam Simms, Radio Operator: Rich Hobt, Ball turret gunner: Caleb Hurst, Waist gunner: Earl Echstenkamper, Waist gunner: John Lucas,Tail gunner: Frank Selover (10INT); flak KO’d two engines and other damage, force landed Dubendorf A/fd, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 3237. SUPER BALL.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/1/44; Kearney 26/1/44; Assigned 549BS/385BG [XA-R] Gt Ashfield 8/2/44; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Vince McLaughlin, Co-pilot: Larry Lawler, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bruce Batchelder, Radio Operator: Joe Spurr, Ball turret gunner: Dave Holmes, Waist gunner: Fred Blaser, Waist gunner: Perril Van Noy,Tail gunner: Howard Martini (8INT); Navigator: Bob Fillman, Bombardier: Bernie Wasserman (2 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Wildhaus, 18 miles S of St Gallen, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 3247.

Delivered Cheyenne 22/10/43; Gr Island 3/11/43; Memphis 10/11/43; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-H] Horham 15/11/43; with Glen Infield force landed RAF Manston 4/3/44; 25m, Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Jim Reed, Co-pilot: Maj Noel Strader, Navigator: Murray Ball, Bombardier: Bill Gadek, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harry Blake*, Radio Operator: Clayton Emerson*, Waist gunner: Rich Sherry*, Waist gunner: Willard Buss*,Tail gunner: David Harte (9INT); Ball turret gunner: Henry Gorski (POW, those marked * also given as POW in group aircraft history); crash landed Oberriet-Kriessen, Diepoldsau, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 3229.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Paine 28/11/43; Gt Falls 5/12/32; Cheyenne 7/12/43; Kearney 16/12/43; Oklahoma City 7/1/44; Kearney 12/1/44; Romulus 17/1/44; Grenier 18/1/44; Assigned 323BS/91BG [OR-B] Bassingbourne 1/2/44; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Doye Bradford, Co-pilot: Bob Mersereau, Navigator: Alby Trendell, Bombardier: Jack Athearn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Hobart Peterson, Radio Operator: Norman Bunin, Ball turret gunner: Bob Modell, Waist gunner: Lucian Wright, Waist gunner: Nick Merletti,Tail gunner: Malcolm Bradt (10INT); flak KO’d #2 & #3, dropped behind and, force landed Dubendorf, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 3221. Ret Burtonwood, UK. Salvaged 8/10/45. MOUNT ‘N RIDE.

Delivered Cheyenne 3/1/44; Kearney 14/1/44; Assigned 550BS/385BG [SG-J] Gt Ashfield 6/2/44 as LITTLE CHUB; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Bob Meyer, Co-pilot: Boyd Henshaw, tog-Sgt Carl Larsen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Miller, Radio Operator: John Wells, Ball turret gunner: Chas Page, Waist gunner: Elbert Mitchell, Waist gunner: Lou Lieming,Tail gunner: Jarrell Legg (9 evaded capture); Navigator: Bob Williams (KIA-chute failure but wia severely); enemy aircraft, pilot looked for an airfield but forced to ditch in Lake Zugersee, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 3246. LONESOME POLECAT. (Recovered from lake and displayed at St Moritz in 1970; sal 1973.)

Delivered Denver 17/8/43; Assigned 325BS/92BG [NV-A] Podington 16/9/43 16/9/43; Missing in Action {11m} Stuttgart 25/2/44 with Clifford Beach, Co-pilot: Homer Ford, Navigator: John Keefer, Bombardier: Bill Lenovich, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Tom Winkler, Radio Operator: Paul Terry, Ball turret gunner: Joe Martin, Waist gunner: George Schaub, Waist gunner: Gene Seipold,Tail gunner: Ray Wilcox (10INT); flak, force landed Dubendorf A/Fd, Switz., W/O; Missing Air Crew Report 2755. DOTTY G.

Delivered Long Beach 27/3/43; Tarrant 25/4/43; Smoky Hill 11/6/43; Kearney 30/6/43; Dow Fd 9/7/43; Assigned 347BS/99BG Navarin 23/7/43; Oudna 4/8/43; Missing in Action Augsburg 1/10/43 with Bill Cantwell, Boydsten, Breslin, Marks, Rowen (5INT); Chavez, Phillips, Maddox, Schnelberger, McArdell, Higginboth (348BG) (5 Killed in Action); shot down by Swiss AF, crashed Alvaneu. Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 795. HUBBA HUBBA.

Delivered Cheyenne 5/8/43; Gr Isle 14/8/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-H] Chelveston 15/9/43; Missing in Action Schweinfurt 14/10/43 with Ed Dienhart, Bombardier: Carl Johnson, Radio Operator: Hurley Smith, Ball turret gunner: Ray Baus, Waist gunner: Bob Cinibulk, Waist gunner: Christy Zullo,Tail gunner: Bernie Segal (7INT), Co-pilot: Brunson Bolin, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Blaylock (2 Prisoner of War), Navigator: Don Rowley (Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crash landed wheels up at Reinach Aesch, near Basle, Switzerland. Missing Air Crew Report 913. LAZY BABY.

Delivered Long Beach 2/3/43; Walla Walla 29/3/43; Lowry 10/4/43; Presque Is 24/4/43; Assigned 369BS/306BG [WW-W] Thurleigh 7/5/43; Missing in Action Kiel 29/7/43 with Keith Conley, Co-pilot: Vince DeVos, Bombardier: Bob Sanford, Radio Operator: Frank Oetttinger, Ball turret gunner: Hugh Furr, Waist gunner: Chas Owen, Waist gunner: Russ Robinson,Tail gunner: Marvin Currier (8 Prisoner of War); Navigator: Hyman Adler{chute failed to open properly}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lou Leonardini (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Alvaneu, near Schleswig, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 122. JERAVAD ‘UNE PETITE PEU’.

Assigned 352BS/301BG Chelveston 12/7/42; Tafaraoui 24/11/42, as HEINIE HEADHUNTERS {52m}; force landed Tafaraoui with Bill Condy 30/11/42; 416BS/99BG Tortorella 12/43 {21m}; 840BS/483BG Tortorella 31/3/44; Returned to the USA 13/6/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 17/7/45; from 99th renamed TAIL END CHARLIE. (? As MY LOVIN’ DOVE ditched after enemy action near Nauri Is, SWPac 9/2/42. Crew rescued after 66 days at sea?).

Delivered Cheyenne 14/4/43; Smoky Hill 22/4/43; Morrison 5/5/43; Warner Robins 10/5/43; Morrison 21/5/43; Assigned 416BS/99BG Navarin 24/6/43; Oudna 4/8/43; Missing in Action Augsburg 1/10/43 with Burton English, Prentice, Finseth, Patten, Malchiodi, Bargett, Wheadon (7 Killed in Action); Pratt, Carroll, King (3INT); shot down by Swiss AF, crash landed Ragaz, Landquart, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 796. SUGARFOOT.

Delivered Cheyenne 5/4/43; Kearney 15/4/43; Wendover 2/5/43; Hill 15/5/43; Wendover 21/5/43; Dow Fd 28/5/43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-D] Thorpe Abbbotts 9/6/43; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6 September 1943 with Pilot Captain Sam R. TurnerWounded in Action, Co-pilot: William R. Freund, Navigator: Morris Weinberg, Bombardier: Vance Boswellwounded in action-lost left arm and eye, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harold Smith, Radio Operator: Carmine A. Gallo, Left Waist gunner: James E. Speakman, Right Waist gunner: Carter F. Thornton,Tail gunner: DeWitt J. Wier (9 Interned in Switzerland. Ball turret gunner Joseph J. Moloney was Killed in Action – KIA. Enemy aircraft, ditched Lake Constance, Romanshorn, Switzerland; Missing Air Crew Report – MACR 689.

Delivered Long Beach 15/3/43; Smoky Hill 26/3/43; force landed Dalhart with Wilbur Snow 9/4/43; Dow Fd 10/4/43; Assigned 423BS/306BG [RD-Y/I] Thurleigh 22/4/43; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Martin Andrews, Co-pilot: Keith Rich, Navigator: Gordon Bowers, Bombardier: Bob Huisinger, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ralph Biggs, Radio Operator: Vernon Scott, Ball turret gunner: Guy DiPietro, Waist gunner: Walt Kozlowski, Waist gunner: Elmo Simpson,Tail gunner: Henry Hucker (10INT); two engines sustained flak hits, force landed Magadino-Ticino, Switz. The Swiss air force repaired and test flew aircraft, and handed it back to US after an engine change at end of war! Missing Air Crew Report 519. EST NULLA VIA IN VIA VIRTUTI.(There is no way impossible for courage).

Delivered Dallas 9/6/43; Smoky Hill 10/7/43; Dow Fd 15/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG [L] Knettishall 18/7/43; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Bill Beecham, Co-pilot: Barlow Brown, Navigator: Ray Beplat, Bombardier: Sam Beatty, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jewell Delamar, Radio Operator: Oliver Happy, Ball turret gunner: Bill Ballard, Waist gunner: Tom McGee, Waist gunner: Wayne Fox,Tail gunner: John McNeill (10INT); enemy aircraft, force landed Dubendorf, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 3136. (Rep and used by Swiss AF); Returned to the USA Grenier 23/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 20/10/45. IMPATIENT VIRGIN II.

Assigned 366BS/305BG [KY-G] Presque Is 19/10/42; Grafton Underwood 25/10/42; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Floyd MacSpadden, Co-pilot: Jack Noce, Navigator: Daniel Boone, Bombardier: Mo O’Connell, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Januszewski, Radio Operator: George Snyder, Ball turret gunner: Lennie Tompkins, Waist gunner: Ralph Hays, Waist gunner: Elvis Rosletti,Tail gunner: Harry Hergesheimer (10INT); no fuel, force landed Dubendorf, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 1345. MADAME BUTTERFLY; Returned to the USA 15/9/45 (now Confederate AF as KY-D, MADAME BUTTERFLY.

Delivered Denver 12/6/43; Dow Fd 20/7/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG [WF-E] Chelveston 12/8/43; transferred 366BS [KY-E]; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Art Glaiser, Co-pilot: Dave Engler, Navigator: Jim Vitiello, Bombardier: Bob Hutchinson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Hooker, Radio Operator: Jim Dystra, Ball turret gunner: Gaetano Polizzotti, Waist gunner: Jake Demere, Waist gunner: Chas Moore,Tail gunner: Bill Watkins (10INT); no gas, force landed Dubendorf, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 1342. Returned USA 22/9/45. SO WHAT?

Delivered Cheyenne 7/4/43; Kearney 16/4/43; Westover 3/5/43; Wendover 16/5/43; Kearney 23/5/43; Dow Fd 22/5/43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-F] Thorpe Abbotts 9/6/43; Missing in Action Regensburg 17/8/43 with Don Oakes, Co-pilot: Joe Harper, Navigator: Hiram Harris, Bombardier: Lloyd Hammarlund, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Elder, Radio Operator: Jim Scott, Ball turret gunner: Les Nadeau, Waist gunner: Vince McGrath, Waist gunner: Nolan Stevens,Tail gunner: Leon Goyer (10INT); enemy aircraft KO’d #3, then #2 lost oil pressure and crash landed Dubendorf, near Zurich, Switz, where it was dismantled and taken to Kloten for storage, was eventually scrapped (1st US aircraft interned); Missing Air Crew Report 683. HIGH LIFE.

Delivered Cheyenne 13/5/43; Geiger 26/5/43; Gt Falls 7/6/43; Smoky Hill 1/7/43; Dow Fd 11/7/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-S] Framlingham 12/7/43; Missing in Action Regensbury 17/8/43 with Steve Rapport, Co-pilot: Elmer Holloway, Navigator: Grover Boyd, Bombardier: Chas Ryan, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Scott, Radio Operator: Bill Carter, Ball turret gunner: Theo Obsharsky, Waist gunner: Blair Neal, Waist gunner: Joe Russell,Tail gunner: Ricardo Robledo (10INT – but both WGs and ettg later escaped and returned to base; flak, crashed Utzendorf, nine miles N of Berne, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 391. BATTLE QUEEN aka ‘PEG OF MY HEART’.

Delivered Dallas 16/7/45; Sth Plains 3/9/45; Rome 1/3/46; NAAF Mustin Fd 6/46 [77255]; United States Coast Guard Elizabeth City 6/12/46; Inter Ice Patrol, Argentia, Nfd 4/47; NAS Norfolk 4/52; United States Coast Guard San Francisco 10/52; Elizabeth City 3/54; NAF Johnsville 10/55; Inter Ice Patrol, Argentia, Nfd 1956; Elizabeth City 9/58; Ace Smelt/Corp, Phoenix 11/5/59 (Civil N3193G); Fairchild Air/Surv, LA 16/11/59, modified with cameras and floors plus nine new crew positions; Aero Serv/Corp 2/8/65; Biegert Bros, Shickley, Neb 11/65 (sprayer); Air/Spec, Mesa, Az 3/66 (tanker 34); flew to Hawaii for film Tora, Tora, Tora; owners re-named Globe Air; Yankee Air Force, Ypsilanti, Mich 7/68 and restored in 1995 as [GD-Y] 534BS/381BG, Ridgewell, Ex, UK, flying as YANKEE LADY.

Delivered Dallas 13/7/45; Sth Plains 31/8/45; Rome 2/46; NAF Johnsville 9/9/46 [77254]; converted into camera and survey ship for United States Coast Guard; Elizabeth City 31/3/47 and operated these activities until 1959, the last mission from Alaska; United States Coast Guard San Francisco 9/59; Elizabeth to retire, the last B-17 used by USAF with military crew on 14/10/59; Joe Marrs, Opa Locka, Fl 8/3/60 (Civil N9323R); Serv-Air, White Plains, NY 4/60; Tropical Export Tred/Co, Fort Lauderdale 23/5/62; Hugh Wheeless, Dothan, Al 17/7/62 (sprayer); Black Hills Avn. Spearfish, SD 4/10/62 (tanker B-30); Aero Flite, Cody, Wyo 3/1/64; Bruce Kinney, Richey, Mont 1975; Aircraft Spec. Mesa, Az 18/5/78; swapped for C-54 tanker and restored as static 42-31892 of 390BG Framlingham, Sfk, UK, at Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Az. I’LL BE AROUND.

Delivered Wright Aero/Corp test aircraft with XT-35 turbo-prop fifth engine, along with R-3350 piston engines gave it top speed of 350mph and designated EB-17G; Black Hills Av, (Civil N6694C) as tanker C12; crashed on take off Bear Pen, NC 8/73; sal for spares at Tom Reilly VA, Kissimmee, Fl. Nuw under restoration to fly, B-17 Project, Grimes Apt, Urbana, OH; CHAMPAIGN LADY

Delivered Dallas 14/6/45; Rome 14/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 3/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 5/11/45; ended up in 1947 as Texaco gas station monument called The Bomb, at Milwaukee, Or. Now (2005) under restoration at The Bomber Foundation, Portland, Or. as LACEY’S LADY.

Delivered Burbank 19/6/45; Rome 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 5/11/45; designated EB-17G, then ETB-17G and used for man-carrying wing tip pod tests 1949; sold IGN France as F-BGSR 31/10/54; sold to Ted White as N17TE in 1970; to UK as G-BEDF on airshow circuit at IWM Duxford, UK., as SALLY B (41-24485 more latterly as MEMPHIS BELLE).

Delivered Dallas 6/6/45; Sth Plains 9/6/45; Assigned 48 SRGp and 24 Comp Gp as TB-17G crew trainer in Caribbean Air Command; a trainer in Brazilian Air Command 1948 as VB-17G; ret US 1100 OpGp Bolling 1954; stored at Davis Monthan 1956; (Civil N3509G) restored to military configeration at Santa Monica, Cal 10/1991; wearing colours of 34BG Mendlesham, Sfk, UK. Now at Palm Springs Air Museum, CA, as potentially airworthy MISS ANGELA.