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B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F 41-24544 "Pennsylvania Polka" was assigned 323BS/91BG [OR-O] Bangor 10-Sep-42; Bassingbourn 26-Oct-42; Shot down 4-Feb-43 by fighters 12 miles NW of the tip of Terschelling Island, Holland while on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany. The marshalling yards were obscured by clouds and the port area of Emden, Germany was attacked as a target of last resort. 10KIA MACRS 3557 & 4635. Flew 7+ missions
P 1Lt Alan L. Bobrow (KIA) CP 1Lt John J. Sanders (KIA)
N 1Lt Everett L Clinard, Jr. (KIA); B 1Lt Norman L. Andrews (KIA)
E/TTG TSgt Paul L. Bass (KIA); RO TSgt Cyril E. Curb (KIA)
BTG TSgt Bill J. Wheeler (KIA); WG Charles E. Blackburn (KIA)
WG SSgt Lewis J. Fredericks (KIA); TG Sgt Edwin R. Campbell (KIA)
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...
Squadron
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Bombardier. Killed in Action (KIA).
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Engineer/Top Turret Gunner Killed in Action (KIA).
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Waist Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA).
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Pilot. Killed in Action (KIA). Attacked by fighters. Crashed in North Sea near Terschelling Island.
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) whe shot down 4 February 1943. B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Tail Gunner. ME 110s and JU88s shot them down and the B-17 crashed into the North Sea
Purple Heart, Air Medal
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
On 8 Nov 1942 Wounded in Action while serving as Navigator on B-17F #41-24570 "Panhandle Doggie". Aircraft was damaged on mission to bomb the German airfield of Drucat at Abbeville, France. Aircraft RTB but was too damaged to repair and was salvaged on...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Radio Operator. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Waist Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Co-Pilot. Killed in Action (KIA).
Air Medal, Purple Heart
Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 4 February 1943 in B-17F 41-24544 'Pennsylvania Polka' while serving as Ball Turret Gunner. Killed in Action (KIA)
Air Medal, Purple Heart
4 February 1943
The marshalling yards at Hamm, Germany are again designated as the primary target for this mission follwing the abortive attempt of 2-Feb-43. However, weather and extreme cold frustrate this operation also. The main attacking force consists of 65 B-17s...
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...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) | Terschelling, Netherlands | 4 February 1943 |
|
Attacked by German ME110s and JU88s and crashed into the North Sea 12 miles northwest of the tip of Terschelling Island, Holland. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 January 2015 20:50:09 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2015. Added NOTE on COMBINATION data from DUPLICATE entry by Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 January 2015 17:49:47 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 27-Jan-2105. Added target information on Emden to description based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th AIr Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 25 January 2015 20:14:34 | Lee8thbuff | Changes to nicknames, markings, description, events, place associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham 25-Jan-2014. Added Block Number and nickname per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" Roger A. Freeman with Davis Osborne; added note to FTR event and edited description based on "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces" Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE; Added Rank, Crew Position, full proper name and disposition per MACRs 3557 & 4635; formatted crew display. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3557 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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