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42-3109

B-17 Flying Fortress

  • An airman of the 94th Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3109) nicknamed

    An airman of the 94th Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3109) nicknamed "Stud Duck". Handwritten caption on image: "94th BG #23109."

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  • A B-17F Flying Fortress (XM-H, serial number 42-3109), nicknamed

    A B-17F Flying Fortress (XM-H, serial number 42-3109), nicknamed "Stud Duck", of the 332nd Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "1572-MRU. 12-6-43. Nuthampstead. B-17F 42-3109." Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Seems possible 'H' changed. Bar across XM code. Name appears to be Stud Duck. 94th BG.'

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Delivered Cheyenne 16/2/43; Dow Fd 2/6/43; Assigned 92BG Podington 17/10/43; transferred 332BS/94BG [XM-E] Rougham /43; landing accident at Bovingdon due to structural failure with Chas Cliburn 17/8/43; landing accident at Rougham with Ken Steele 29/9/43; recalled from mission and on landing at base landing gear malfunctioned 9/2/44 with Alwin Kocher, Co-pilot: Henry Wallace, Navigator: Metro Wozniak, Bombardier: Edmond Moreau, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Wood, Radio Operator: Bill Holmes, Ball turret gunner: Joe Anderson, Waist gunner: Herbert Chase, Waist gunner: Gil Debrieski, Tail gunner: Elmer Thomas (10 Returned to Duty); no records until Salvaged 22/6/45. STUD DUCK.

Service

Units

  • 94th Bomb Group

    94th Bomb Group

    Group
    Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...

  • 332nd Bomb Squadron

    332nd Bomb Squadron

    Squadron
    Part of 94th Bomb Group.

People

  • Joseph Anderson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

  • Herbert Chase

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

  • Gilbert Debrieski

    Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD.

  • William Holmes

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Crashed on landing after a local engine check flight on 2 Mar 1944 in B-17G #42-37829 'The Better Half'. RTD.

  • Alwin Kocher

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

  • Edmond Moreau

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

  • Henry Wallace

    Military | Major | Co-Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Flew 13 combat missions. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge...

  • William Wood

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

  • Metro Wozniak

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 94th Bomb Group
    Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 84

    17 August 1943
    The mission flown on 17-Aug-43, the 1st anniversary of the 1st mission flown by the 8th Air Force, is probably the most written about mission of the war. This is the famous Schweinfurt/Regensburg mission on which 60 B-17s are lost. It has been dubbed ...

Places

  • Bury St Edmunds

    Military site : airfield
    The airfield was purpose-built for American bomb groups and as such had a 2,000 yard main runway that lain in concrete with a tarred and wood-chipped surface. The scale of bases such as this meant that very often the technical, administrative and...

  • Podington

    Military site : airfield
    Built originally to accommodate two RAF bomber squadrons, the first USAAF unit to occupy the base was the 15th Bomb Squadron in September 1942. Podington was then used as a satellite for nearby Chelveston. Work to lengthen the runways, although this...

Events

Event Location Date
Crashed Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, UK 17 August 1943

Landing accident at Bovingdon due to structural failure, Cat 3 damage. Pilot Charles E. Cliburn.
Nicknames
Stud Duck
Production block number
B-17F-25-DL Fortress
Manufacturer
Douglas
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Recommend recive of actual indivdual aircraft history record card for depart US date and initial UK assignment.

The assignments, based on similar deliveries, appear to be reversed. The 94th was being assigned a/c in the US in the late first quarter of 1943 and moved to the UK in the second quarter. Many a/c of the 94/95/96 BGs were transfered to the then 1st BW eight groups to shed the 4th BW inventory of lesser tankage B-17F and actualize a longer range force in the then seven group 4th BW.

That said, the October 43 appearance in the rrconstitued 92nd BG makes more sense than an 4 -8 mos gap in service.

However, an April/May assignment to the re-equiped 92nd would also make sense; as would a July/ Aug transfer from the 94th to the 92nd after inital assignment to the 94th BG.

The least likely senario is the long gap from Dow FLd to the first combat assignment.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
14 December 2020 18:32:25 jmoore43 Changes to description
Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.
Date Contributor Update
01 May 2019 21:26:09 phil marchese Changes to markings
Sources

AMA listings of other a/c in initial 94th BG UK inventory.
Date Contributor Update
12 June 2016 20:26:56 Rainer Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, events, unit associations and mission associations
Sources

aviationarchaeology.com
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:36 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

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