41-24464 Excalibur

media-50799.jpeg UPL 50799 Navigator 2nd Lt. Rollin P. Ball, 324th BS, 91st BG, survived the ditching of his ship, B-17F 41-24464 "Excalibur" returning from the 4 MAR 1943 mission to Hamm. Less than three months later he would be declared MIA; returning from the 21 MAY 1943 trip to Wilhelmshaven aboard B-17F 41-24515 "Jersey Bounce" with Lt. Phillip S. Fischer and crew, they would disappear over the North Sea; no trace was ever found.

AAMIB

Object Number - UPL 50799 - Navigator 2nd Lt. Rollin P. Ball, 324th BS, 91st BG, survived the ditching of his ship, B-17F 41-24464 "Excalibur" returning from the 4 MAR 1943...

Assigned 367BS/306BG Westover 17-Aug-42; Thurleigh 13-Oct-42; transferred 324BS/91BG [DF-J] Bassingbourn 20-Feb-43; Missing in Action (MIA) 2m Hamm 4-Mar-43. Shot down by Lt Kostler (IV/NJG1) in Me 110, KO’d #1 & #3, oil pouring away before #4 was feathered ditched 40 miles west of Texel Is, Holland, in North Sea; five rescued by Royal Navy minesweeper and landed at Grimsby; EXCALIBUR. 3 KIA 7 RTD (Rescued by Royal Navy). No MACR issued.



P 1LT Allen Brill (KIA); CP 1LT Allan W. Lowry (KIA)

N 1LT Roland P. Ball (RTD); B 1LT Robert F. Brubaker (RTD)

E/TTG TSGT William G. Dickson (RTD); RO SSGT D. C. Wells (RTD)

BTG SSGT James E. Morgan, Jr. (KIA); WG SSGT James M. Bechtel (RTD)

WG SGT L. W. Wolfington (RTD); TG TSGT J. L. Baker (RTD)

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-793974
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 7009151
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 37088931
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17019995 / O-442336
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
First Lieutenant R.F. Brubaker, a bombardier of the 91st Bomb Group inside the nose gun position of his B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Our Gang", using a Norden bombsight 24 June 1943. Image via BL Davies. Printed caption on reverse of print: 'ETO HQ 43 4321 Pearson 24 June 1943. 1st Lt. R.F. Brubaker, Clearwater, FLA., Bombardier of "Our Gang", a Flying Fortress operating from England, at his Norden Bombsight, just before the ship took off for a bombing mission over enemy territory.' Was passed for publ
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14044021 / O-660325
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Assigned

Bassingbourn, UK 20 February 1943 Transferred to 324BS, 91BG, USAAF.

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

West of Texel, Netherlands 4 March 1943 Sustained severe damage from fighter attacks and was forced to ditch in the North Sea 40 miles west of Texel Island, Holland.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added some punctuation to the A/C “Description” to aid readability.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Corrected typo in FTR notes.

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added Production Block # and Manufacturer and Nickname per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman; Made connections to Units, Place and Mission withing existing websitet data; Added FTR event, converted dates to military-style signification; added crew position, rank, names and dispositions per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

41-24464: Gallery (10 items)