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

Delivered Denver 6/12/43; Savannah 23/12/43; Assigned 347BS/99BG 7/1/44; 14m transferred 429BS/2BG Amendola 28/3/44; severe battle damaged Debreczen 21/9/44 with Guy Miller, Co-pilot: Tom Rybovich, Navigator: Theo Davich, Bombardier: Bob Mullen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Gerald E. McGuire, Radio Operator: Tony Ferrara (Wounded in Action), Ball turret gunner: Bill Steuck; Right Waist Gunner: Jim Maguire (Wounded in Action) (8 Returned to Duty); Left Waist gunner: Jim Totty, Tail gunner: Elmer Buss (2 Killed in Action); crash landed base and broke in half, then after repair aircraft was flown again by Miller 1/12/44; flown with Bill Morton 1/6/45 crash landed Bari, Italy, destroyed by fire. SWEET PEA.

Delivered Dallas 16/6/45; Rome 22/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 7/10/45; 593 BU Charleston 28/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Louisville 12/6/45.

Delivered Lowry 9/3/42; Boise 1/4/42; Assigned 435BS/19BG Hawaii 23/4/42; transferred 63BS/43BG; after seven missions retUS Kelly 24/11/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 1/2/46. CHICO aka I’M WILLING.

Delivered Hill 14/7/43; Gore 15/8/43; Assigned 413BS/96BG [MZ-K] Snetterton 9/9/43; battle damaged Villacoublay 5/2/44 with Don Kasch, Co-pilot: Leroy Allen, Navigator: Gene Schadler, Bombardier: Roger Buhla, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Joe Gerba, Radio Operator: Bob Stott, Ball turret gunner: Norman Wilcox, Waist gunner: John Lawsky, Waist gunner: Guy Wert,Tail gunner: Boles Masys{Wounded in Action} (10 Returned to Duty); crash landed on Oginwick Rd, Dymchurch, Kent, after battle damaged and engine failure over target; and also killed British soldier Joe Hampson (4th Battn. Somerset Light Inf). on ground, as well as injuring several civilians and wrecking homes. KASCH’S KIDS.

Delivered Cheyenne 9/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Grenier 21/4/44; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-M] Molesworth 30/4/44; on night service training 18/9/44 with Graham Gould, Co-pilot: Yale Lasker, Navigator: Ralph Reynolds, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Leon Megek, Radio Operator: Max Smelar, g-Peter Bandy (6 Returned to Duty); brakes were not applied soon enough, aircraft ran into ploughed field, nosed over then fell back, rep; on mission 24/8/44 with ? , Bombardier: John Rhyne KIA-by shrapnel), SPECIAL DELIVERY.

Delivered Denver 19/11/43; Gt Falls 20/11/43; Kearney 12/12/43; Romulus 8/1/44; New Castle 9/1/44; Presque Is 10/1/44; Assigned 407BS/92BG [PY-N] Podington 23/1/44; Missing in Action Erding 24/4/44 with Earl Howard, Co-pilot: Glen Filberth, Navigator: Bill Lagarde, Bombardier: Gene Maginn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Marvin Russell, Radio Operator: Joe Oklak, Ball turret gunner: Ralph Murchison, Waist gunner: Levi Burns, Waist gunner: Hubert Matlock,Tail gunner: Vic Wells (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KOd #1, crew bailed, ship flew on and crashed Augenstein Mountain, near Lochamer Wand, eight miles SW of Weissbach, near Austro/Ger border; Missing Air Crew Report 4146.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/11/43; Kearney 28/11/43; Romulus 4/12/43; Presque Is 8/12/43; Assigned 325BS/92BG [NV-L] Podington 30/12/43; Missing in Action Berlin 6/3/44 with Frank Krizan, Co-pilot: Nick Stevason, Navigator: Otis Fuller, Bombardier: Adolph Dobek, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Frank Vitrano, Radio Operator: Malcolm Mayers, Ball turret gunner: Gerard O’Day, Waist gunner: Casimer Jaworski, Waist gunner: Bill Gammel,Tail gunner: Marvin Harrison (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Brachwitz, four miles N of Treuenbrietzen, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2903.

Delivered Lowry 3/3/42; Boise 4/4/42; Assigned 65BS/19BG Hawaii 18/4/42; transferred 43BG; retUS Tyndall 6/11/43; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Albuquerque 25/6/45.

Delivered Lincoln 20/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-B] Horham 13/10/44; 67m, Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 29/11/45. PASSION WAGON aka VICTORY DEVILS

Delivered Cheyenne 2/11/43; Gt Falls 6/11/43; Kearney 19/11/43; Romulus 2/12/43; Bangor 4/12/43; Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-B] Thurleigh 30/12/43; secret mission 4/11/44, ret gp 9/11/44; transferred 29TAC 24/5/45; Salvaged 31/1/46. ST ANTHONY.

Delivered Denver 30/11/43; Paine 2/12/43; Kearney 23/12/43; Dallas 3/1/44; Morrison 5/1/44; Assigned 96BS/2BG Amendola 7/1/44; Missing in Action {11m} Steyr 24/2/44 with Jim McCord, Co-pilot: Harlan Wisner, Navigator: Allison Lunan, Bombardier: Don Gilmore, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Homer Cooley, Ball turret gunner: Saul Zafran, Waist gunner: Bill Payne, Waist gunner: Maynard Tingle[wia],Tail gunner: Ralph Edwards[wia] (9 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Jim Gatewood (KIA-died of wounds in Austrian hospital.); enemy aircraft and flak, crashed Wegesheid, Aus; four chutes seen; Missing Air Crew Report 2686. MISS HETTIE.

Delivered Long Beach 17/1/43; Salina 28/1/43; Morrison 10/3/43; Assigned 96BS/2BG Ain M’Lila , Alg 5/7/43; Massicault, Tun 31/7/43; Bizerte, Tun 2/12/43; Amendola, It 9/12/43; Missing in Action {72m} Anzio, It 2/3/44 with Tom Degan{Wounded in Action}, Navigator: Bob Brienza{Wounded in Action}, Bombardier: Bill Popoff{Wounded in Action}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Turner, Radio Operator: Julius Bridges, Ball turret gunner: Tom Moriarty, Waist gunner: Henry Macias,Tail gunner: Tony Sikole, Obs-Col Elmer Rogers{Wounded in Action} (9 Returned to Duty); Co-pilot: Ben Nabers, Waist gunner: Bill McNichol (2KIA ) both drowned after ditching near Anzio, rest picked up by British after four hours in dinghy. Missing Air Crew Report 3216. LEAKIN’ LENA.

Delivered Lowry 5/3/42; Assigned 30BS/19BG Hawaii 1/4/42; ditched off Horn Is, Aus. 13/7/42 with Curtis J. Holdridge, Ball turret gunner: Ralph Deitz (2 Killed in Action); ? crew but OK

Delivered Cheyenne 30/11/43; Wendover 11/12/43; Assigned 457BG Glatton 26/1/44; transferred 323BS/91BG [OR-N] Bassingbourn 12/3/44; 139m Returned to the USA 121 BU Bradley 26/5/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 11/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 30/11/45, but not scrapped until 1963! (first heavy bomber attacked by German jet a/c.) OUTHOUSE MOUSE.

Delivered Cheyenne 23 March 1943; Dow Field 10 April 1943; Assigned 407BS/92BG [PY-R] Alconbury 24 April 1943. Was flown by Captain Donald G. Parker on the 17 July 1943 mission to Hannover, Germany. Hit by Unteroffizier Ernst Breton of JG11, it was lost on the 16 November 1943 mission to the salt mines at Knaben, Norway with Pilot Joseph F. Thornton; Co-pilot: Whitney M. Bray; Bombardier: Arthur A. Carmell; Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Laurence E. Dennis; Radio Operator: John Geegee; Ball turret gunner: Dean M. Sommers; Left Waist gunner: Charles H. Hartnett; Right Waist gunner: Otto F. Trammer; Tail gunner: Rolland A. Galloway (9 Prisoner of War). The Navigator: David C. Besbris bailed out early, landed in Norway and was helped to evade by Norwegian patriots; reached Sweden on 17 February 1944 and was back in the UK on 15 March 1944. Crashed near Mandal, West of Kristiansand, Norway. Missing Air Crew Report – MACR 1384. FLAGSHIP / FLAG SHIP.

Delivered Cheyenne 11/8/44; Lincoln 21/8/44; Grenier 8/9/44; Assigned 327BS/92BG [UX-V] Podington 24/9/44; damaged in midair when hit by Ruka salvo 15/12/44 with Lt Foote; severely damaged when 43-38455 crashed and exploded nearby on take off; Salvaged 16/12/44.

Delivered Denver 10/8/43; Gr Island 3/9/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-N] Snetterton 8/9/43; Missing in Action Bremen 16/12/43 with Maynard Freemole, Co-pilot: Coy Freeman, Navigator: John McIntyre, Bombardier: Robert H. Locke, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Smith, Radio Operator: Bob Andrews, Ball turret gunner: Wallace Duke, Waist gunner: Ken Schmalian, Waist gunner: Joe Costelow,Tail gunner: Edwin Kalinka (10 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed between villages of Poppingawier and Rauwerd, Hol.; Missing Air Crew Report 1566.

Delivered Lowry 3/3/42; Assigned 30BS&28BS/19BG Hawaii 28/5/42; Missing in Action Buil-Baisi, New Guinea 1/11/42 with John S. Hancock, Co-pilot: Bob Burns, Navigator: Jim Carver, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Hiram Wilkinson, Radio Operator: Ed Cipriani, Waist gunner: Mac Groesbeck, Waist gunner: Ray Maxwell, Curtis Longenberger, shot down over Solomon Is crashed on mountain ridge near Milne Bay; human remains and other effects found March 1999, some items returned by native villagers.. (Last combat loss of 19BG).

Delivered Tulsa 27/3/44; Kearney 6/4/44; Dow Fd 14/4/44; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-Y] Polebrook 7/5/44; sustained battle damaged (34m} over Ulm 9/8/44 with Jim Myl, Co-pilot: Orville Bzoskie, Navigator: Mike O’Shea, Bombardier: Bob Pacquer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry Re, Waist gunner: Leon Yurkus,Tail gunner: Tom Cardamona (7RTD, rescued by RAF ASR); Radio Operator: Lester McClure, Ball turret gunner: Merton Rasmussen (2KIA, died of exposure); flak, crew bailed over Bradwell Bay, Ex; Missing Air Crew Report 7391. THUNDER BALL.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/44; Kearney 15/2/44; Presque Is 28/2/44; Assigned 547BS/384BG [SO-H] Grafton Underwood 24/3/44; brakes failed 3/6/44 but after repair, transferred to 544BS as [SU-A]; crashed on take off for mission 1/8/44 with Bob Harris, Co-pilot: Bob Sica, Navigator: Elmer Pettine, Bombardier: Rich Spead, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Richter, Radio Operator: Harry Kastner, Ball turret gunner: Nicholas Susich, Waist gunner: Vernon Stanford,Tail gunner: Bob White (9 Killed in Action); an engine failed soon after t/o, crash landed Weldon, near Corby, Nth, UK; Salvaged. Missing Air Crew Report 7807. GREEN MOUNTAIN GAL.