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
41-24547 Vertigo and Crew. This is the crew that went down on the aircraft on the 1st of May 1943 but the only positively identified one is SSGT Richard E. Shumard Front Row Second Left It is believed that the positions are as follows. Back Row L-R King, Robert Shaw (Regular Copilot not on the 1st of May flight), Rand, Sternglanz, Hatch. Front Row L-R. Kuzoswski, Shumard, Farrar, Wawrzynek, Platt
Assigned 323BS/91BG [OR-P] Bangor 10/9/42; Bassingbourn 11/10/42; Missing in Action 9+m St Nazaire 1/5/43 with Bob Rand, Navigator: Don Sternglanz, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clarry King, Waist gunner: Thad Kusowski, Tail gunner: Dick Shumard (5 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Major Mo Rosener (94BG CO-wia), Bombardier: Walt Wawrzynek, Radio Operator: Dave Hatch, Ball turret gunner: Jim Farrar, Waist gunner: Alvar Platt (5 Prisoner of War); several enemy aircraft attacked, KO’d #2 and set cockpit ablaze, ditched Channel about four miles of Brest and quickly sank. Missing Air Crew Report 3573. VERTIGO.
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 | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. Farrar was one of 5 survivors to became Prisoner of War (POW)s....
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. One of 5 survivors to become Prisoners of War (POW), he was...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoner of War (POW)s.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoners of War (POW).
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner; Assistant line chief | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. One of 5 survivors to become Prisoner of War (POW)s, he was...
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoners of War (POW).
...
Military | Major | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Prisoner of War (POW). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #4124547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoner of War (POW)s....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoner of War (POW)s.
...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA). Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. 5 survivors became Prisoners of War (POW).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Bombardier / Togglier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 1 May 1943 in B-17 #41-24547 'Vertigo' on a mission to target U-boats, heavy flak and fighters attacked. Plane crashed into Channel about 4 miles off Brest and quickly sank. One of 5 survivors to become Prisoner of War (POW)s, he was...
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) | France | 1 May 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 01 September 2020 04:13:35 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Corrected a typo in the A/C "Description" - Shumard was misspelled. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 01 September 2020 03:39:22 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:03 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3573 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
