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

Delivered Cheyenne 21/4/43; Tinker 27/4/43; New Castle 30/4/43; Presque Is 5/5/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-J] Ridgewell 15/6/43; Missing in Action 6m Cologne 4/3/44 with Dave Keyes, Co-pilot: Rich Seal, Navigator: Ralph Lynch, Bombardier: John Hughes, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Van Voorhis, Radio Operator: John Fair, Ball turret gunner: Theo Simone, Waist gunner: Henry Levandoski, Waist gunner: Dale Hillett,Tail gunner: Chas Davis (10 Prisoner of War); mech fault, force landed La Bagarre, Clairmarais, three miles NE of St Omer, Fr; Missing Air Crew Report 2910. SPARE PARTS.

Delivered Cheyenne 22/5/42; Assigned 98BS/11BG Hawaii (flew to New Caledonia, at Guadalcanal Jan 43); fitted with ASV radar on nose and under wing and at least eight missions and six Japanese aircraft to its credit; retUS 901 BU Orlando 14/12/45. TYPHOON McGOON II.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/4/44; Kearney 9/5/44; Dow Fd 21/5/44; Assigned 511BS/351BG [DS-D] Polebrook 23/5/44; {63m} battle damaged Stuttgart 9/12/44 with Danforth Merrill, Co-pilot: Lou Edwards, ng-Jack McGee, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed Poppe, Radio Operator: Jim Williams, Ball turret gunner: Tom Veltry, Waist gunner: Claude Chaffin,Tail gunner: Bill Teel (8 Returned to Duty); Bombardier: Vernon Smith (Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft KO’d #2 and ship lost controls temporarily, however p returned controls and returned to base; Salvaged 10/12/45. Missing Air Crew Report 7903; QUEEN OF THE BALL.

Delivered Lincoln 28/1/45; Grenier 20/2/45; Assigned 8AF 26/2/45; re-ass ATC 30/4/47; 1414 BAS Dharan 28/1/48; Recl Comp 16/12/48.

Delivered Cheyenne 22/5/42; Assigned 98BS/11BG Hawaii 5/6/42; transferred 13AF (Poppy) 22/7/42; Written off 15/6/44. GALLOPIN’ GUS.

Delivered Boise 338BS/96BG (?303BG) 28/2/42; {re-ass 7BG Hawaii then 19BG – according to Fortress Against the Sun by Gene E. Salecker}; with Dan Minnick force landed Salt Lake City Fd 30/3/42; Ephrata 4/6/42; Muroc 3/7/42; Geiger 2/9/42; Rapid City 1/10/42; crashed mountains of Sierra Grande, NM with Paul Cunningham 17/10/42; Salvaged. NIPPON MISS.

Delivered Denver 27/12/43; Gr Island 14/1/44; Assigned 730BS/452BG [6K-T+] Deopham Green 6/2/44; target Berlin 19/5/44 with Bill Gaither, Co-pilot: Ernie Demaray, Navigator: John Stull, Bombardier: Roger Soth, Ball turret gunner: John McCallum, Waist gunner: Joe Lovett, Waist gunner: George Mondell Wounded in Action, Tail gunner: Bob Sellstrom (8 Returned to Duty); Radio Operator: Ed Sullivan, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: George Williams (2 Killed in Action); during assembly coll with 42-31242 (388BG), crash landed New Buckenham, Nfk., sal 20/5/44. ROSALIE ANN.

Delivered Cheyenne 24/3/44; Hunter 19/4/44; Dow Fd 29/4/44; Assigned: 730BS/452BG [6K-A+] Deopham Green 1/5/44; destroyed by Enemy aircraft at Poltava Pilot: Lt Kirke 21/6/44; Salvaged. 16/7/44.

Delivered Cheyenne 26/10/43; Walla Walla 9/11/43; Assigned 728BS/452BG Deopham Green 6/1/44; on return from mission aircraft landed heavily and right u/c collapsed with cp at wheel crew OK 24/12/44; on return from Darmstadt with Jim MacSporran, Co-pilot: Alex Marva, Navigator: Theo Janoski, togg-T/Sgt Jim Kiser, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Willis Trombley, Radio Operator: Vernon Bosseler (6 Killed in Action); Ball turret gunner: Darrell O’Harrow, Waist gunner: David Monore,Tail gunner: Leon Thompson (3 Returned to Duty), crash landed near base at Higham, Nfk; [Sal Scotland (used on whisky runs!) 26/12/44]. AIN’T MISBEHAVIN III.

Delivered Tulsa 26/5/44; Dallas 5/6/44; Langley 10/7/44; Dow Fd 4/8/44; Assigned 346BS/99BG PFF Tortorella 14/8/44; {24m} Salvaged 9AF Germany 10/5/46.