8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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42-97288
B-17 Flying Fortress
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"Lt Mcgough and crew of the 92nd Bomb Group beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. England, 8 December 1944."
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B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 92nd Bomb Group fly in formation over countryside. The aircraft, from left to right, are B-17G (NV-P, serial number 44-8354), B-17G (NV-U, serial number 42-97288) nicknamed "Flag Ship" and an unknown B-17G (NV-E) from the 325th Bomb Squadron. Image stamped on reverse: 'The R.L. Cavanagh Photo Collection' [stamp]. Handwritten caption on reverse: '48354, Little Runt. PFF.' [Caption refers to another B-17 nicknamed"Little Runt" either B-17G (NV-P, serial number 42-97515) or B-17(serial number 44-8358)]. Handwritten on reverse: 'J Diamond Collect/AF Museum'
Delivered Cheyenne 13/2/44; Rapid City 4/3/44; Gr Island 19/4/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 24/4/44; no ops, transferred 325BS/92BG [NV-U] Podington 7/5/44; Missing in Action Berlin 18/3/45 with Harry Culver, Cornell Christensen, Bill Irntsend, Ray Welsh, Ferdi Lamburt, Edwin Diblacomo, George Stevenson, Ambrose Yarbro tg, Jack Schafer (spot jammer (9INT); Mech failure, then hit by flak, force landed Bulltofta, Sweden after nearly being shot down in Swedish airspace by Ju88; returned to group Jun/45; Missing Air Crew Report 13150. Returned to the USA Bradley 1/8/45; 4185 BU Independence 30/11/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 19/12/45. FLAGSHIP.
Service
Units
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92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Group
The 92nd Group sometime after arrivial in the UK converted to the role of in-theater combat crew indocrination and training. For this role, the Group traded its B-17F complement and obtained the B-17E, mostly from the 97th BG which was departing for... -
325th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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William Arntsen
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Cornell Christensen
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Harry Culver
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Edwin DiGiacomo
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Ferdinand Lancour
Military | Sergeant | Engineer | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. 9-Dec-44 raid to Stuttgart aboard B-17 42-97141; “Sgt. Ferdinand A Lancour of the 325th Squadron, engineer of 2nd Lt Harry S Culver’s crew, displayed considerable courage in attempting to close open-and-jammed bomb... -
Jack Schafer
Military | Staff Sergeant | SJ, Spot Jammer | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 'Flag Ship' #42-97288, Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
George Stevens
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 42-97288 'Flag Ship' Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Ray Weislar
Military | Technical Sergeant | Bombardier | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME. -
Samuel Yandian
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Harry S Culver crewmember. 34 x combat missions, sat out his crews final mission [18-Mar-45], as he wanted to finish his 35 mission tour with his crewmates, their final mission led them to be interned in Sweden. ETD.... -
Ambrose Yarbro
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. 33 x combat missions. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 'Flag Ship' #42-97288, Interned (INT). MACR 13150 Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Missions
Places
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Nuthampstead
Military site : airfield
Built during 1942-43, Nuthampstead was the nearest Eighth Air Force heavy bomber base to London. It had three concrete runways, 50 loop hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. It was first occupied from September 1943 to April 1944 by the 55th... -
Podington
Military site : airfield
Built originally to accommodate two RAF bomber squadrons, the first USAAF unit to occupy the base was the 15th Bomb Squadron in September 1942. Podington was then used as a satellite for nearby Chelveston. Work to lengthen the runways, although this...
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Manufactured | Long Beach, CA | 1944 |
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Built at Boeing. |
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| Delivered | Cheyenne AAF, WY | 13 February 1944 |
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Delivered Cheyenne AAF 13-Feb-44. |
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| Assigned | Nuthampstead, UK | 24 April 1944 |
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Assigned 398BG 24/4/44; No Missions. |
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| Assigned | Podington, UK | 7 May 1944 |
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Transferred 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Interned (INT) | Bulltofta, Malmo, Sweden | 18 March 1945 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin 18-Mar-45; Mech failure #1 prop ran away, failed to feather, then hit by flak, landed Bulltofta, Sweden 9 x INT MACR 13150 |
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| Returned to Group | Podington, UK | June 1945 |
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Flown back to base from Sweden by Lt's Culver and Christensen after repairs Jun-45. |
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| Returned ZI | Bradley AAF, Windsor Locks, CT | 1 August 1945 |
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Returned to the USA Bradley AAF 1-Aug-45 |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 25 February 2019 22:17:49 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/29444072 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:11 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 13150 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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