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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42-3273
B-17 Flying Fortress
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A crsashed B-17F Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3273) of the 95th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "1746. MRU. 12-23-43. Repps, Norfolk Co. B-17F, 42-3273. A." Handwritten caption on reverse: '22/12/43 A.' On reverse: Damaged USAAF Photographic Station 505 [Stamp].
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B-17 Flying Fortress 42-3273 QW-W 'Impatient Virgin' 412th BS, 95th BG, 8th AF USAAF.
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B-17 Flying Fortress 42-3273 QW-W 'Impatient Virgin' 412th BS, 95th BG, 8th AF USAAF.
Delivered Denver 18/4/43; Assigned 100BG Dow Fd 30/5/43; transferred 412BS/95BG [QW-W] Horham 15/6/43; force landed RAF St Eval ex-St Nazaire 28/6/43; crash landed Gt Ashfield ex-La Pallice 16/9/43; force landed RAF Hensridge; 31m, ex-Munster 22/12/43 with Loren Seager, Navigator: J.L. Hutchings, Waist gunner: Lelan Story, rest unknown (10 Returned to Duty); loss of power involved crash landed Potter Heigham, Nfk. Salvaged. IMPATIENT VIRGIN.
Mission: 12/22/1943 Munster (Germany)
Aircraft: 42-3273 - Impatient Virgin
Aircraft Status: Lost (Crash)
Crew Status: Return to Duty (RTD)
Pilot: Loren F. Seger
Co-Pilot: Robert W. Bugie
Navigator: James L. Hutchings
Bombardier: William J. Myers
Radio Operator: Frank A. Bessemer
Top Turret/Engineer: Donovan G. Helgeson
Ball Turret Gunner: Wilford S. Mack
Waist Gunner: Leland Story
Waist Gunner: James D. Hartney
Tail Gunner: Donald E. McKinney
Service
Units
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95th Bomb Group
Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August... -
412th Bomb Squadron
Squadron
People
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Edmund Barraclough
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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Frank Bessemer
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 95th Bomb Group
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Horace Beyette
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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Robert Bugie
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Flew 27 missions DFC, AM, Unit Citation -
Donald Eastling
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
B-17 #42-29919 'Carbondale Special' June 13, 1943 suffered bomb damage and injuries to BTG and TG. Aug 17, 1943, piloted 'Wee Bonnie' B17 42-30185 -
James Hartney
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
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Henry Held
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer | 95th Bomb Group
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Donovan Helgeson
Military | Lieutenant | 12/1943 - 3/1944 (Top Turret/Engineer); 2/1945 - 5/1945 (Pilot) | 95th Bomb Group
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William Holcomb
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
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James Hutchings
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
22 December 1943 crash landed in a meadow in Norfolk due to lack of power in B17#42-3273 'Impatient Virgin' on return from mission to Munster, Germany. L. F. Seger crew. 10 RTD
Missions
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VIII Bomber Command 69
28 June 1943
The primary specific target for this mission are the lock gates at St. Nazaire, France to be attacked by two separate formations and also another force is despatched to bomb the German airfield at Beaumon Le Roger, France. A formation of 120 B-17s of... -
VIII Bomber Command 75
24 July 1943
Three targets in Norway are the primary targets for this first mission flown by 8th AIr Force to Norway. They are the nitrate works at Heroya and the port areas at Trondheim and Bergen. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (22)... -
VIII Bomber Command 78
28 July 1943
The German aircraft industry at Kassel (Fieseler works) and Oscherleben, Germany are the primary targets of this mission. 182 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (24); 351BG (21); 379BG (19); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are... -
VIII Bomber Command 80
30 July 1943
The aircraft factories at Kassel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. The mission is flown by two elements of B-17s which attack 15 minutes apart. The firts element is a combined force of 119 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 303BG (23); 351BG (21);... -
VIII Bomber Command 82
15 August 1943
German airfields in Holland and France are the targets for this mission. All of the attacks were made late in the afternoon just prior to sunset. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (20... -
VIII Bomber Command 85
19 August 1943
The German airfields at Gilze-Rijen, Holland and Woensdrecht, Holland are the targets for this mission. The attacks will be made by two elements. The first element is a combined force of 125 B-17s from: 91BG (8); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (19);... -
VIII Bomber Command 87
27 August 1943
This mission is the first attack by the USAAF on suspected V-Weapon sites. The German development of pilotless winged aircraft was first divulged to the British just shortly after the beginning of World War II in two letters sent to the British embassy... -
VIII Bomber Command 88
31 August 1943
This mission is composed of two elements. The first element is composed of 170 B-17s from: 91BG (16); 92BG (19); 303BG (20); 305BG (18); 306BG (18); 351BG (21); 379BG (21); 381BG (19); and 384BG (18). The primary target for this element is German... -
VIII Bomber Command 90
3 September 1943
German airfields in France and the Caudron-Renault works at Paris are the targets for this mission. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 351BG (19); 381BG (22); 92BG (19); 305BG ... -
VIII Bomber Command 95
15 September 1943
This mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a formation of 93 B-17s from: (1BG (19); 305BG (18); 306BG (18); 351BG (19); and 381BG (19) despatched to bomb the German air deport at Romilly-sur-Seine, France. 87 aircraft are...
Places
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Great Ashfield
Military site : airfield
The airfield was built in 1942 by John Laing & Son Ltd. 108,000 tons of concrete was used in its construction, creating a Class 'A' airfield suitable for heavy bombers. The 385th Bomb Group took up residence in the summer of 1943, and remained at the... -
Horham
Military site : airfield
Horham airfield was planned and built for RAF use, but handed over to the Eighth Air Force and used initially by the 47th Bomb Group. When they joined the Twelfth Air Force in January 1943, it became home to the B-26 Marauders of the 323rd Bomb Group....
Events
| Event | Location | Date |
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| Force Landed | Henstridge, Templecombe, Somerset BA8, UK | 1943 |
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Force landed at RAF Henstridge. |
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| Delivered | Dener, CO | 18 April 1943 |
| Assigned | Horham Airfield, UK | 15 June 1943 |
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95BG |
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| Force Landed | St Eval, Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27, UK | 28 June 1943 |
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Force landed at RAF St Eval after mission to St Nazaire 28/6/43. |
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| Force Landed | Great Ashfield, Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk IP31, UK | 16 September 1943 |
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Crash landed at Great Ashfield after mission to La Pallice 16/9/43. |
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| Crashed | Potter Heigham, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR29, UK | 22 December 1943 |
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Crash landed after loss of power at Potter Heigham, Norfolk after mission to Munster 22/12/43. |
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Revisions
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 24 August 2020 01:58:02 | 466thHistorian | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 August 2020 01:57:37 | 466thHistorian | Changes to production block number, events, person associations, place associations, mission associations and media associations |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 04 April 2019 22:43:01 | phil marchese | Changes to manufacturer and markings |
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FLYING FORTRESS 1936 1945 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 August 2017 00:32:26 | jeepster298 | Changes to person associations |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 August 2017 00:26:08 | jeepster298 | Changes to description and events |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 December 2015 18:35:33 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings, events, unit associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM DB Entry. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:43 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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