42-39867 Hang the Expense II, Boeing Belle
![A B-17G Flying Fortress (EP-E, serial number 42-39867) of the 351st Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "265-(44). WPU - 2.29.44. Eastchurch. B-17G - 42-39867. FA-FSAD." Handwritten caption on reverse: '100th Bomb Group, 13th Combat Wing, 3rd Air Division, E?-E.[EP-E]' On reverse: USAAF Photographic Section Station 595 [Stamp].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/wysiwyg_x2/public/freeman/media-407367.jpg.webp?itok=8VKuldUm)
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Object Number - FRE 4104 - A B-17G Flying Fortress (EP-E, serial number 42-39867) of the 351st Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "265-(44). WPU -...
B-17G #42-39867 'Hang the Expense II (EP-E)' aka 'Boeing Belle' (EP-Z) Known Mission List courtesy of Ray Bowden/USAAF Nose Art Research Project
Delivered Long Beach 24/9/43 Gr Island 6/11/43; Assigned 351BS/100BG [EP-E/Z] Thorpe Abbotts 11/11/43;
on mission to Frankfurt 24/1/44, with Frank Valesh, Co-pilot: John Booth, Navigator: John Johnson, Bombardier: Maurice G Zetlan, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Herscell H Broyles, Radio Operator: Ernest M Jordan, Ball turret gunner: Louis G Black Jr, Waist gunner: Paul Carbonne, Waist gunner: Herschel Broyes (9 Returned to Duty); Tail gunner: Roy Ulrick (Prisoner of War); flak hit in tail, limped home to RAF Eastchurch, Kent, UK & repaired. TG was blown out of tail and became POW; witnesses swear he flew through the air still in his seat and hanging on to Browning gun handles! ; ret US 6/45;121 BU Bradley 19/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 22/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 11/12/45.
Date :Pilot :Target Notes
24 Sep 1943 Delivered to Long Beach
6 Oct 1943 Grand Island, Nebraska
11 Nov 1943 Assigned to 349BS, 100BG @ Thorpe Abbotts
30 Dec 1943 F Valesh / Ludwigshaven Category Ac damage - mg fire. Landed @ RAF Lympne
11 Jan 1944 ? Osnabruck Non-sortie - returned early
24 Jan 1944 F Valesh / Frankfurt (recalled) Tail wheel blown off by flak, (TG) POW. Landed @ RAF Eastchurch
15 Mar 1944 Capt H E Keel / Brunswick
18 Mar 1944 J F Massol / Lechfeld
1 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Ludwigshaven (recalled) Non-sortie - not despatched
9 Apr 1944 R V E Monrad / Krzesinki
10 Apr 1944 R V E Monrad / Rheims
11 Apr 1944 L G Lacy / Rostock 20mm thru right wing tip, bullet hole over (CP) window. One KIA
12 Apr 1944 R V E Monrad / Schkeudiz (recalled) Non-sortie
13 Apr 1944 R V E Monrad / Augsburg Non-sortie - returned early with bomb load due to fuel leak
18 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Berlin Category AC damage - flak thru plexinose, changed
19 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Lippstadt Non-sortie - Spare
20 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Noball @ Marquenville / Flottemanville Aircraft RE-NAMED as "Boeing Belle" from "Hang the Expense"
22 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Hamm
26 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Brunswick
28 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Noball @ Sottevast Jettisoned bomb load
29 Apr 1944 E W Wolf / Berlin Serious damage - right inner wing and main spar
7 May 1944 E W Wolf / Berlin
8 May 1944 E J Simmons / Berlin
11 May 1944 E W Wolf / Liege MYs
12 May 1944 E W Wolf / Brux Category AC damage - hit by door from another a/c
19 May 1944 E W Wolf / Berlin
20 May 1944 R G Roeder / Brussels (abortive) Sortie (??)
31 May 1944 E W Wolf / Osnabruck Non-sortie - Spare
5 Jun 1944 E W Wolf / Boulogne
6 Jun 1944 E W Wolf / Falaise
6 Jun 1944 E W Wolf / Caen
7 Jun 1944 E J Simmons / Nantes
11 Jun 1944 E W Wolf / Berck-sur-Mer
15 Jun 1944 H Dickert / Misburg
20 Jun 1944 E W Wolf / Fallersleben
24 Jun 1944 W L Greiner / Noball @ Grand Couronne Landed @ RAF Woodbridge - hydraulics out. Transferred to 351BS after repairs
6 Jul 1944 E Zapf / Noball @ Crepieul (BT) suffered anoxia
7 Jul 1944 D L Darby / Bohlen Non-sortie - returned early, jettisoned bomb load
8 Jul 1944 D L Darby / Clamcy-Joigny RR bridges Returned early - lost formation (sortie)?
11 Jul 1944 E W Wolf / Munich
13 Jul 1944 Capt N F Smith / Munich
14 Jul 1944 E W Wolf / South France Non-sortie - Returned early - engine trouble
17 Jul 1944 W L Greiner / Ludwigshaven
18 Jul 1944 R A Ricci / Kiel / Hemmingstadt
19 Jul 1944 L G Bennett / Schweinfurt
20 Jul 1944 A J Gallagher / Merseburg Non-sortie - Spare
25 Jul 1944 D L Darby / St Lo (Tcatical)
28 Jul 1944 E W Wolf / Merseburg
29 Jul 1944 E W Wolf / Merseburg
31 Jul 1944 D L Darby / Munich
3 Aug 1944 O C Everitt / Troyes
4 Aug 1944 R L Stevenson /Hamburg
5 Aug 1944 J P Ernst / Magdeburg
7 Aug 1944 D L Darby / Beautor (abortive) Returned early - Sortie(??)
8 Aug 1944 R L Stevenson / St Sylvain
13 Aug 1944 L G Delaney / Nantes-Gassicourt
15 Aug 1944 R L Stevenson /Venlo airfield
25 Aug 1944 R L Stevenson /Politz
26 Aug 1944 C J Hedin / Brest
5 Sep 1944 R L Stevenson / Stuttgart
10 Sep 1944 R L Stevenson / Nurnburg
11 Sep 1944 O E Hopkins / Ruhland
12 Sep 1944 O E Hopkins / Magdeburg
13 Sep 1944 L G Bennett / Sindelfingen
19 Jun 1945 Returned USA to Bradley Field 121 Base Unit
22 Jun 1945 South Plains 4168 Base Unit
11 Dec 1945 Kingman RFC, Arizona SCRAPPED
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
![Three airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, Lieutenant Kenneth Menzie, Lieutenant Donald Strout and Lieutenant Norman Scott, plan the route they will take during the next mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30380). Image stamped on reverse: 'Reviewed and passed U.S. Army 23 Aug 1943 Press Censor E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]'. Passed for publication 23 August 1943 INTLD 16 General Section Press Censorship Bureau '[stamp], 'Associated Press' [stamp] and '280035.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reve](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378743.jpg.webp?itok=HBB0lqjl)
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 351st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 20921246
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 351st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-?
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 351st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14158568
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 351st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32526655
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 490th Bomb Group Headquarters Squadron (490th Bomb Group) 351st Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39176352
- Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
- Role/Job: Airplane Maintenance Technician
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Assigned |
11 November 1943 | ||
|
Other Damaged [parked A/C] |
11 July 1944 | Ground Accident [parked aircraft] Cat 3 damage, Thorpe Abbots/Sta 139, 351st BS, 100th BG, 8th AF. | |
|
Assigned |
19 June 1945 | Post return to US, assigned 121st BU Bradley 19/6/45. | |
|
Assigned |
22 June 1945 | 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 22/6/45. | |
|
Other Passed onto scrapman |
11 December 1945 | Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 11/12/45. | |
|
Other Repaired |
New tail section fitted RAF Eastchurch. Returned to Thorpe Abbotts and to Op's. | ||
|
Other Transferred |
Transferred to 351st BS renamed 'Boeing Belle' [EP-Z]. | ||
|
Other Returned Stateside |
Returned USA June 1945. | ||
|
Manufactured |
By Boeing. |
Revisions
Aircraft codes corrected as per M.Faley
https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-39867-hang-the-expense-ii-aka-boeing-belle/
AAM DB Description.
https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=5276…
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" for clarity.
Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” for clarity.
AAM DB Description.
https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=5276…
AAM DB Description.
https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=5276…
AAM DB Description.
https://100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=5276…
![A B-17G Flying Fortress (EP-E, serial number 42-39867) of the 351st Bomb Squadron, 100th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "265-(44). WPU - 2.29.44. Eastchurch. B-17G - 42-39867. FA-FSAD." Handwritten caption on reverse: '100th Bomb Group, 13th Combat Wing, 3rd Air Division, E?-E.[EP-E]' On reverse: USAAF Photographic Section Station 595 [Stamp].](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-407367.jpg.webp?itok=w_Ml4PfT)
![A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-39867) nicknamed "Hang the Expense II" of the 100th Bomb Group with two airfield vehicles. Official caption printed on image: '264 (44). WPU-2-29-44 East Church . B-17G- 42-39867. FA. FSAD.' Image stamped on reverse: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH, Photographic section AAF Station 595.' [stamp] First handwritten caption on reverse: '100th Bomb Group, 13th CW.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: 'D possibly black.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378752.jpg.webp?itok=RMS6UwxC)
