Following recent government announcements the museum is currently closed, there is plenty to explore in our online archive.
The American Air Museum is a charity - Find out how you can support us
B-17 Flying Fortress
LITTLE CEASAR, an overseas original complement of the 96th BG, B-17F-70-BO 42-29755 per FORTLOG. The aircraft was soon transfered to the 381st BG and later returned to the USA. A partial bailout lead to a MACR involving this B-17F and six of crew taken POW. This is not the later 96th BG F-100-BO, 42-30370 , which had a more advanced nose configuration. Note the twin nose guns arrangement here which were common circa March, 1943.
Missing Air Crew Report, Bi-17, Serial_42-29755_5NOV1944
Delivered Cheyenne 12/2/43; Walker 27/2/43; Salina 11/3/43; Gulfport 28/3/43; Dow Fd 8/4/43; Assigned 338BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 20/4/43 LITTLE CAESER, VINI VIDI VICI.
Transferred 533BS/381BG [VP-Y] Ridgewell 14/7/43 GREMLINS DELITE.
Battle damaged with casualties ( POWs), Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 with Bill Butler, Navigator: Larry Potenza, Bombardier: Hayden Brown, Ball turret gunner: Bob Osborne (4 Returned to Duty); Co-pilot: John Anderson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Kinley Lindsay, Radio Operator: Wayne Maloney, Waist gunner: John Skrapits, Waist gunner: Francis McGinty,Tail gunner: Chas Smith (6 Prisoner of War) MACR attached.
Transfered VIII AFSC 5/4/44.
Returned to the USA Homestead 18/6/44.
Assigned to 4136 BU Tinker 1/9/44; Keesler 10/1/45.
Transfered to Reconstruction Finance Corporation Altus 9/10/45. LAST STRAW.
Reclaimed - (sold for scrap metal).
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-Pilot, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. On Mission #42, November 5, 1943 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen on B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite', pilot Butler returned to base with 3 crewmen as 6 had bailed out over Southern Holland...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Butler crew. Member of the Shultz crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Wounded on 5 November 1943 on Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The pilot, Lt Butler ordered Lt Brown to bail out. He removed his oxygen mask...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Ordered the crew to bail out. Had to land with 3 other crew members due to the bombardier's parachute malfunction which trapped him in the aircraft.
...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Butler crew. Member of the Jobe crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Bailed out on 5 November 1943 from B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite'. Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen. Pilot Butler returned to base with 3 crewmen as 6 had...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Member of the Jobe crew. Bailed out 5 November 1943 from B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite'. Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Pilot Butler returned to base with 3...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Bailed out on 5 November 1943 from B-17 $42-29755 'Gremlins Delite'. Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Pilot Butler returned to base with 3 crewmen as 6 had bailed out over...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Butler crew. Member of the Crozier crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Landed on 5 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite' on mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The pilot ordered the crew to bail out....
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Crash landed at Kent 22 June 1943 in B-17 #423226 'Little Chuck' with no injuries to crew.
...
Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Butler crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS. Bailed out on 5 November 1943 in B-17 #42-29755 'Gremlins Delite'. Mission #42 to the railroad marshalling yards at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Pilot Butler returned to base with 4 crewmen as 6 had bailed out over...
5 November 1943
Having had good success with P-38 escorts and limiting penetration depth into Germany this mission is directed at the railroad marshaling yards and oil refinery at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. In addition the marshaling yards at Munster, Germany are also...
Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...
Military site : airfield
Built during 1941-42 as an RAF bomber station, Ridgewell operated as a satellite to RAF Stradishall until May 1943. It had three concrete runways, initially 36 pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Taken over by the Eighth Air Force in June...
Not yet known
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 25 November 2019 20:30:00 | phil marchese | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Reformated. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 November 2019 18:07:43 | phil marchese | Changes to production block number, nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
Image; Osborne, FORTLOG; Marchese, FLYING FORTRESS 1936 1945. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 07 December 2017 02:38:40 | ARowe95 | Changes to manufacturer, nicknames, markings, description, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:23 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
||
