42-30292 Pulsatin Polly

Delivered Cheyenne 9/5/43; Gore 10/5/43; Moses Lake 22/5/43; Geiger 25/5/43; Smoky Hill 1/7/43; Dow Fd 11/7/43; Assigned 551BS/385BG [HR-O] Gt Ashfield 12/7/43; transferred 569BS/390BG [CC-Q] Framlingham 13/7/43; Missing in Action (11m) Bremen 8/10/43 with Marshall Shepherd, Co-pilot: Neil Murphy, body washed up in River Weser), Navigator: Jesse Wyatt, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Masters, Radio Operator: Chas Brown, Ball turret gunner: Bob Ross (6 Killed in Action); Bombardier: Owen Smith, Waist gunner: Jim Helms, Waist gunner: Harry Lambert, Tail gunner: Albt Martin (4 Prisoner of War); direct flak hits in cockpit, radio room and #4 on fire, and circled by enemy fighters, crashed Quelkhorn, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 783. PULSATIN' POLLY.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner
Second Lieutenant Owen G Smith (bombardier) , Sergeant Joseph Demmerle (Mechanic) and Technical Sergeant William F. Cole (crew chief) of the 390th Bomb Group in a crew tent near a B-17F Flying Fortress nicknamed "Pulsating Polly". Passed for publication 8 Oct 1943. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Pulsating Polly. B-17F.' Printed caption on reverse: 'Ground Crew "Gypsies" Of The U.S. Air Force. With the Anglo-American bombing offensive quickening its tempo by day and by night, ground crews of U.S. Bomber
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew chief
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 34244556
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany 8 October 1943

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added spaces in description for readability.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 783 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database