B-17 Bomber Flying Fortress – The Queen Of The Skies

Delivered Cheyenne 10/2/44; Kearney 25/2/44; Presque Is 22/3/44; Assigned 534BS/381BG [GD-I] Ridgewell 6/4/44; Missing in Action {3m} Kerlin-Bastard, Fr 7/6/44 with John Martyniak, Co-pilot: Dick Kellum, Navigator: Jim Manion, Bombardier: Ray Stewart, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Darrell Longley, Radio Operator: Paul Stewart, Ball turret gunner: Lloyd Jackson, Waist gunner: Albt Fahey, Tail gunner: Wayne Coffey; flak damage, ditched Channel 30 miles W of Jersey, (9 Returned to Duty). OUR CAPTAIN.

Delivered Denver 15/1/44; Kearney 29/1/44; Assigned: 551BS/385BG Gt Ashfield [HR-T] 21/2/44; Returned to US: 121 BU Bradley 24/6/45; 4168 BU Sth Plains 5/7/45; 237 BU Kirtland 10/12/45; Scrapped: Albuquerque 7/2/46. LI’L AUDREY.

Delivered Cheyenne 5/11/43; Kearney 17/11/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [ET-R] Horham 13/12/43; S/Sgt Gardner Wright (Killed in Action) 11/4/44; with G. R. Hall force landed RAF Woodbridge 12/12/44, all OK; Missing in Action [97m] Strasburg 20/1/45 with Capt Frank F Beard, Co-pilot: James R Wagner, Navigator: Mervin L Hayne, Bombardier: Maurice O Messenger, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John T Griffth Wounded in Action, Ball turret gunner: George E Treese,Tail gunner: James F Boyer (7 Returned to Duty); Radio Operator: Raleigh J Solomon, Waist gunner: Robert M Gallop (2 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed (Lerchenberg?) near Eutsheim, Ger or allied territory?; Missing Air Crew Report 12320. ROARIN’ BILL.

Delivered Cheyenne 12/4/43; Smoky Hill 22/4/43; Morrison 5/5/43; Assigned 419BS/301BG St Donat 27/6/43; Oudna 6/8/43; Cerignola 7/12/43 (?); Lucera 1/2/44 (?); Missing in Action {47m} Istres le Tube 16/11/43 with Jerry Dodge, Co-pilot: Harry Solomon, Navigator: Phil Mantiatty, Bombardier: Fred McDonald, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clarry Beck, Radio Operator: Riland Brenzo, Ball turret gunner: Ed Rivos, Waist gunner: Rich Drager, Waist gunner: Joe Coleman,Tail gunner: Vince Jakubczak (10 KIA); enemy aircraft, ditched Mediterranean Sea. Missing Air Crew Report 1128.

Delivered Denver 17/1/44; 1SAG Langley 14/2/44; Morrison 23/3/44; Assigned (PFF) 49BS/2BG Amendola 26/3/44; transferred 348BS/99BG Tortorella {2m}; 340BS/97BG Amendola 4/44; Missing in Action Blechhammer 13/9/44 with Farryle Waters, Lent, Young, bennett, White, Smith, Gaston, Talley, Hubbard, Thiele; crashed Gross Strehiltz; Missing Air Crew Report 8729.

Delivered Cheyenne 30/12/43; Barksdale 11/1/44; Savannah 16/1/44; Morrison 18/1/44; Assigned 416BS/99BG Tortorella 28/1/44; {6m} transferred 429BS/2BG Amendola 28/3/44; Missing in Action Memmingen, Ger; 18/7/44 with Millard Pedigo*, Co-pilot: Francis Barrett, Navigator: Mark Glasgow, Bombardier: Sid Hurwitz*, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Poplawksi*, Radio Operator: Bill Aeschbacher*, Ball turret gunner: Angelo Martucci, Waist gunner: Paul Johnson, Waist gunner: Sam Byers,Tail gunner: Gene Eisner (10INT); later * escaped from Switz; crash landed Dubendorf, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 6863. MAMMY YOKUM III.

Delivered Denver 20/9/43; Gr Island 6/10/43; ass 331BS/94BG [QE-S] Rougham 9/10/43; sal 2/6/45. LUCKY 13.

Delivered Denver 10/8/43; Long Beach 13/8/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-K] Bassingbourn 26/9/43; Missing in Action 1m Munster 10/10/43 with Earl Verrill, Co-pilot: Joe Rose, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Roy Jackson, Radio Operator: Ross Repp, Ball turret gunner: Gilbert Taft, Waist gunner: Paul Lorman, Waist gunner: Stan Lepkowski,Tail gunner: Bob DeGhetto (8 Prisoner of War), Navigator: Art Horning (EVD-returned UK 30/1/44), Bombardier: John Lilley (KIA-chute caught on stabilizer); mech fault lost two engines, #4 & #2, crash landed Brocklanderweg, near Apeldoorn, Hol. Missing Air Crew Report 941. TENNESSEE TODDY.

Delivered Denver 28/8/43; Scott 16/9/43; Assigned 544BS/384BG Grafton Underwood 7/11/43; transferred 547BS [SO-N]; transferred to 364FG Leiston, Sfk, UK. 11/43; Returned to the USA Bradley 14/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 17/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 18/12/45. HELL’S MESSENGER.

Delivered Tulsa 27/2/44; Hunter 4/3/44; Homestead 8/3/44; Assigned 20BS/2BG Amendola 17/3/44; Missing in Action (62m) Moravska Ostrova 29/8/44 with Bill Garland, Co-pilot: Leo Zupan, Navigator: Albt Novak, Bombardier: Bill Hayett, Radio Operator: Chas Griffin, Ball turret gunner: Jesse Barker, Waist gunner: Ralph DeWitt, Waist gunner: Bob Hoadley (8 Prisoner of War); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Irving Katz, Waist gunner: Russ Payne (2 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft, #1 on fire and supercharger went out on #2, while attacks ko’d #3; crashed between Metylovice & Frýdek-Místek, Czech Republic today; Missing Air Crew Report 7987. SNAFUPERMAN.