42-39761 | American Air Museum

42-39761

Delivered Long Beach 25/8/43; Scott 22/10/43; Assigned 401BG Deenethorpe 26/10/43; transferred 511BS/351BG [DS-D] Polebrook 25/11/43; Missing in Action {13m} Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Thompson White, Co-pilot: Valleau Wilkie, Navigator: Pete Soderling, Bombardier: Fred Warren{evaded but captured in Antwerp 1/6/44}, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Clyde Mellen{captured Pyrenees}, Waist gunner: John Watson,Tail gunner: Hymen Hitow (7 Prisoner of War), Radio Operator: Harry Dratz, Ball turret gunner: Walt Snyder{ret UK}, Waist gunner: Norman Elkin{ret UK} (3 evaded capture); enemy aircraft, crash landed Zweeloo, Hol; Missing Air Crew Report 1939. FIREBALL II.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group.

351st Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

The insignia of the 511th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group.

511th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Norman Elkin

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Hymen A Hitow

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Harry D Kratz

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner

Clyde L Mellen

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Walter R Snyder

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 511th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Places

Bomber crews from the 401st Bomb Group look over P-51 Mustang, FT-T, serial number 43-12172, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, at Deenethorpe airfield. One of their B-17 Flying Fortresses is in the background. Printed caption on reverse of print: '...401st Bomb Group look over a North American P-51 Mustang at an 8th Air Force base in England, 27 December 1943.'

Deenethorpe

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Benefield

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107124) of the 351st Bomb Group flies over Polebrook.

Polebrook

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Hollland

11 January 1944

Revisions

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:50

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1939 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database