B-17F 41-24439 'Chief Sly' was delivered Dow Fd 2-Sep-42; Assigned 322BS/91BG [LG-Q] 6-Sep-42; Bassingbourn 29-Sep-42; battle damaged 20-Dec-42 on mission to bomb the German air depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. Crash-landed Parsonage Farm, Fletching, Sussex, UK; badly damaged by flak and enemy aircraft attacks, just limped home across Channel. 10RTD Salvaged.
P 1Lt Bruce D. Barton (RTD) CP Lt. Paul Burnett (WIA) (RTD)
N Lt Reynolds (RTD); B Lt Lindley (RTD)
E/TTG Sgt Hare (RTD); RO Sgt Haughan (RTD)
BTG Sgt Mitchell (RTD) WG Sgt Sosen (RTD)
WG Stanczyk (RTD) TG Snook (WIA) (RTD)
Service
Units
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Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
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People
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Military | Captain | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Crash landed in B-17F 41-24439 'Chief Sly’ while serving as Pilot on return from target Romilly-sur-Seine, France. Co-pilot was 2nd Lt. Arthur J. Reynolds. Aircraft was DBR and salvaged. No injuries reported in crash.
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Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Crash landed in B-17F-5-BO 41-24439 'Chief Sky' while serving as Co-Pilot on return from target Romilly-sur-Seine, France. 20-Dec-42. Crew escaped injury in landing; however, Burnett was injured in a battle with fighters on the return.
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Military | Radio Operator | 390th Bomb Group
Marshall Haugen was Radio Operator on 322nd Sqdn's 'Chief Sly' and 'Chief Sly II' and flew over with the 91st BG in the September of 1942.
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Military | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Lallie was navigator on 'Chief Sly's' crew, completed 25 missions with 322nd Sqdn, 91st BG 'Ragged Irregulars' and was awarded the DFC.
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Missions
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20 December 1942
The German Air Depot at Romilly-sur-Seine, France is the Primary (P) target for a combined force of 80 B-17s despatched by 91BG (17), 303BG (21); 305BG (23) and 306BG (19). 60 B-17 are effective on the target, but 7 are MIA and 1 is DBR.
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Places
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Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...
Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Damaged Beyond Repair (DBR) |
Fletching, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22, UK |
20 December 1942 |
Severely damaged by flak, barely made it back to England, crash landed at Parsonage Farm, Fletching, Sussex. Salvaged for spare parts.
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