8th Air Force
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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42-32081
B-17 Flying Fortress
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B-17G 42-32081
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708th BS, 447th BG, Rattlesden, probably between August and October 1944. From left to right: Leonard D. Hessenauer, Jr. (navigator), Paul J. Collins (bombardier), John F. Noonan (pilot), John H. Zammett (co-pilot). Unit records indicate this crew did not fly any missions on the backdrop aircraft, 42-32081, Yellow Cab. (Courtesy of Major Paul J. Collins)
Delivered Cheyenne 23/1/44; Gr Island 6/2/44; Presque Is 4/3/44; Assigned 708BS/447BG Rattlesden 6/3/44; Missing in Action Hamburg 4/11/44 with Junior Adams, Bob McGuire, Edwin Breaw, Ross McCollum, Millard Bell, John Roberts, John Dewberry, John Collins, Larry Ornato (9 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Channel. Missing Air Crew Report 10162. YELLOW CAB.
Service
Units
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447th Bomb Group
Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces... -
708th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Junior Adams
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
Millard Bell
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Went down in Channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
Edwin Breaw
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
LT. Edwin G. Breaw's B-17 'Yellow Cab' that he flew was critically damaged by shrapnel and crashed in the English channel on the course back to England; He and the crew members were Killed in Action (KIA) -
John Collins
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
John Dewberry
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
Ross McCollum
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' 42-32081. ... -
Robert McGuire
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
Lawrence Ornato
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081 -
John Roberts
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 447th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed into channel in B-17 'Yellow Cab' #42-32081
Places
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Rattlesden
Military site : airfield
Built for the Eighth Air Force in 1942, Rattlesden had three concrete runways, 50 hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. Intended to be a twin-engine B-26 bomber base, it was originally a satellite for nearby Rougham, and first occupied from... -
Presque Isle Army Airfield
Military site : airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) | English Channel | 4 November 1944 |
Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 04 February 2020 22:36:05 | jmoore43 | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
Added a unit connection to the 8th AF. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 February 2020 01:08:35 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Added the nickname mentioned in the A/C “Description”. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:42 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 10162 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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