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

Delivered Cheyenne 17/5/43; Gore 24/5/43; Smoky Hill 25/5/43; Kearney 27/5/43; Dow Fd 2/6/43; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-M] Horham 15/6/43; 2m, Missing in Action St Nazaire 28/6/43 with Bob Bender, Co-pilot: Don Merten, Navigator: Jacob Baer, Bombardier: Bill Isaacs, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Don Bryan, Radio Operator: Harold Van Arsdale, Ball turret gunner: Earl Bennett, Waist gunner: L.H. Glick, Waist gunner: D.A. Bowen,Tail gunner: R.J. Dougherty, obs-Capt W.C. Berryman (11 Returned to Duty); ran out of gas, ditched Channel, all rescued by ASR. No MACR. SPOOK IV.

Delivered Cheyenne 18/1/43; Mitchell 13/4/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-J] Alconbury 17/5/43 4m; transferred 525BS/379BG [FO-L] Kimbolton 28/6/43; 91BG Bassingbourn 20/1/44; 306BG Thurleigh 2/5/44; 92BG Podington 6/11/44; 305BG Chelveston 16/2/45; 384BG Grafton Underwood 18/5/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus 17/9/45. 1AD radio relay ship. SKUNKFACE II.

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 1-Dec-41; Assigned 19BG Hawaii 27-Dec-41; (shot down, date unknown ?) Guatemala 15-Apr-42; Returned to the USA (RETUS) Tinker, OK 25-Jun-42, Reconstruction Finance Corporation(RFC) (sold for scrap metal in USA) Altus, OK 20-Aug-45. Never served in the UK

Delivered Denver 3/3/43; Assigned 94BG 27/5/43; Morrison 2/7/43; Assigned 96BS/2BG Massicault 25/8/43; {1m} transferred 32BS/301BG Oudna 14/11/43; Cerignola 7/12/43; Lucera 1/2/44; {13m} to depot 4/6/44; Salvaged 6/9/44.

Delivered Denver 14/2/44; Gr Island 3/3/44; Grenier 23/3/44; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-D] Polebrook 7/4/44; Missing in Action 32m Augsburg 19/7/44 with Richard Chapman, Navigator: Lewis Page, tog-Ken Graham, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Earl Russell, Radio Operator: Albert Binsfield (5 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Bill Arther, Ball turret gunner: Jim Laverty, Waist gunner: Harry Hoff,Tail gunner: Oscar Kemp (4 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Ober-Gunzberg, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 7556. SHOO SHOO BABY.

Delivered Cheyenne 14/6/44; Kearney 25/6/44; Dow Fd 13/7/44; Assigned 837BS/487BG [4F-M] Lavenham 14/7/44; battle damaged Brandenburg 10/4/45 with ?; force landed continent, Salvaged.

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD)28-Nov-41; March Field CA 18-Dec-41; Assigned 7BG but used on Project X MacDill/Bakers Field, FL 25-Dec-41; with Rich Craig crashed Clewiston, FL 5-Jan-42. Salvaged. Never served in the UK

Delivered Kearney 29/6/44; Dow Fd 13/7/44; Assigned 837BS/487BG [4F-K] Lavenham 14/7/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 25/11/44 with Craig Shields, Bob Meier, Dennis Carey, Jim Peyton, Max Alkire, Jim Brooks, Virgil Drake, John Marthaler, Cliff Pflieger (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Apolda, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 10757. BLONDE BOMBER.

Delivered Cheyenne 3/6/44; Kearney 13/6/44; Grenier 28/6/44; Assigned 836BS/487BG Lavenham 29/6/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 11/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 12/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 22/12/45.

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 24-Nov-41; Assigned 3BS/6BG 27-Feb-42; Guatemala 15-May-42; South American Air Depot (SAAD) 25-Jul-42; Guatemala 19-Aug-42; Howard Fd, Canal Zone Jan-43; crash landed David Field, Panama with Neal Peterson, Co-pilot: George Wajagich, Navigator: John Reep, Bombardier: Art Adler, plus Francis Dawson, Chas Greene, Elbert Ball, Warren Harding, John Saul, John Vukus, Bob Merchant, Harry Bullard (12 Returned to Duty) 14-Jul-43; Written off 5-Aug-43. Never served in the UK.

Delivered Hunter 12/1/45; Grenier 3/2/45; Assigned 838BS/487BG Lavenham 3/3/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 14/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 20/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 21/12/45.

Delivered Cheyenne 29/5/44; Kearney 8/6/44; Grenier 6/7/44; Assigned 508BS/351BG [YB-G] Polebrook 21/7/44; Missing in Action {25m} Ruhland 12/9/44 with Jim Brown, Navigator: Ernie Ornett, Bombardier: John Rasko, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry Webster (4 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Andy Hess, Radio Operator: Lou Katko, Ball turret gunner: Ralph DeDomenico, Waist gunner: Leon Cinq-Mars,Tail gunner: Bill Wilmut (5 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, crashed Werneuchen, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 8894. UMBRIAGO.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/1/44; Grenier 23/2/44; Assigned 748BS/457BG [J] Glatton 13/3/44; transferred 323BS/91BG [OR-U] Bassingbourn 16/3/44; to 401BS [LL-B]; received battle damage on several occasions but always returned to base; Returned to the USA Bradley Fd 13/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 21/10/45. GENERAL IKE.

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 26-Nov-41; Assigned 14BS/7BG Hawaii but transferred 40BS then 435BS/19BG Australia; overshot and burnt out Horn Island 16-Jul-42 with Maj Clarry McPherson, Co-pilot: Lucius Penick, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: M/Sgt Louis “Soup” Silva, passengers- Chas Baxter, Rich Purcell, John Stevenson, Marvin Bond, , Walter Schofield, Chester Appel (possibly Lt Ed Budz, Houston Rice, Jim Houchins) plus 3 others (15 Killed in Service); Written off 31-Oct-44 and used for components elsewhere. Post war all crew taken home for burial. G.I. ISSUE. Never served in the UK

Delivered Cheyenne 16/10/44; Hunter 19/11/44; Dow Fd 28/12/44; Assigned 836BS/487BG [2G-E] Lavenham 2/1/45; Missing in Action Hof, Germany 8/4/45 with Leon Milner, Clem Swan, Ed Sherman, Elmer Schramm, Lt Tony Bamberg {tg} (5 Killed in Action); Irving Bellow, John Jackson, Bob Bullion, Lt Stan Wechsler {mission pilot) (4 Prisoner of War); aircraft received a direct flak hit near the right wing over the target about 1 minute after bombing. It went into a dive, fire spreading along the wing into the engines and exploded. Crashed NW of Hof, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 13742.

Delivered Cheyenne 25/11/43; Syracuse 18/12/43; Presque Isle 22/12/43; Assigned 359BS/303BG [BN-U] Molesworth 18/1/44; transferred 384 Grafton Underwood 23/3/45; ret Molesworth 14/4/45; transferred 388BG Knettishall 30/4/45; 116m, retUS Bradley 11/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 1/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 21/12/45. THUNDERBIRD. (Preserved as above from 44-85718 in 303BG livery after restoration at Duxford, UK; also featured in Keith Ferris’ mural at Smithsonian Institute.)

Delivered Denver 3/1/44; Kearney 28/1/44; Assigned 447BG Rattlesden 9/2/44; transferred 334BS/95BG [BG-G] Horham; 89m, on night navigation training mission 6/11/44 left u/c collapsed on landing with Warren Helm, Co-pilot: Maurice Londer, Navigator: Paul Trylko, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Cleary, Radio Operator: George Koch, passenger on board – Don Longworth, salvaged 9/11/44. ABLE MABEL.

Delivered Salt Lake Strategic Arms Depot (SAD) 20-Nov-41; Assigned 42BS/11BG 15-Dec-41; Hickam Field, HI 22-Jul-42; shot down and ditched Doma Cove, near Henderson Field, Guadalcanal 24-Sep-42 with Capt Charles E. Norton, Co-pilot: Bruce Barker, Navigator: Leo Eminger, Bombardier: Jim Mathewson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Hotard, Radio Operator: Peter Novak, Ball turret gunner: Fred Croyle, Waist gunner: Bruce Osborne,Tail gunner: Ed Carroll (9KIA*); at least two inc. possibly Norton and Osborne, who were executed, the latter’s bones found by Seebees Jan/44. Rest* probably drowned after impact. BESSIE THE JAP BASHER. Missing Air Crew Report 15098. Never served in the UK.

Delivered Hunter 8/12/44; Dow Fd 21/12/44; Assigned 838BS/487BG Lavenham 7/3/45; Rammed by ME-109 4/7/45; Returned to the USA Bradley 13/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 15/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 3/1/46.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/10/44; Hunter 22/11/44; Dow Fd 3/12/44; Assigned 325BS/92BG [NV-H] Podington 28/1/45; crash landed base with Chas Newhouse 8/4/45; transferred 306BG Thurleigh 7/5/45; Salvaged 9AF Germany 19/11/47. MISS COLUMBIA.