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42-97235

B-17 Flying Fortress

Delivered Cheyenne 9/2/44; Kearney 27/2/44; Grenier 13/3/44; Assigned 729th BS / 452nd BG ( H ) RAF Deopham Green 16/3/44; Missing in Action Brux 12/5/44 with Walt Naylor, Navigator: Austin Casselberry, Bombardier: Mike Veselich, Radio Operator: Durwood Mitchell, Ball turret gunner: John Ahern (5 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Winecke Carpenter, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Roger Mullenmeister, Waist gunner: Tom Garten, Waist gunner: Dick Berkoben,Tail gunner: Ralph Bates Wounded in Action (5 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft caused ship to explode, crashed near Merzhausen Afd, near Usingen, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4778.

Service

Units

  • 45th Combat Bomb Wing

    45th Combat Bomb Wing

    Wing

  • 452nd Bomb Group

    452nd Bomb Group

    Group
    The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group...

  • 729th Bomb Squadron

    729th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • John Ahern

    Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). AM/ PH

  • Ralph Bates

    Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Richard Berkoben

    Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Winecke Carpenter

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Austin Casselberry

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). AM/ PH

  • Thomas Garten

    Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner; Flight Engineer | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). This was my 8th mission. Spent 1 year as Prisoner of War (POW) and was on 600 mile Death March POW/Purple Heart, AF Medal ETC

  • Durwood Mitchell

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH

  • Roger Mullenmeister

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Walter Naylor

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH

  • Michael Veselich

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 452nd Bomb Group
    Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4297235. Killed in Action (KIA). PH

Places

  • Deopham Green

    Military site : airfield
    Deopham Green was another air base constructed after America's entry into the war to Class A standards for use by the B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber. When the 452nd Bomb Group arrived in January 1943 they found a main runway of 2,000 yards, two...

Events

Event Location Date
Failed to Return (FTR) Germany 12 May 1944
Nicknames
Not yet known
Production block number
B-17G-45-BO Fortress
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Squadron ID T

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
02 April 2017 15:48:02 terveurn Changes to markings, description and unit associations
Sources

Added basic information
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:41:10 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4778 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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