42-31087 Heaven Can Wait, Boche Buster
Object Number - UPL 52568 - AC # 42-31087, 'Heaven Can Wait' 'Boche Buster', 401st Bomb Group, 26 June 1944
Delivered Cheyenne 17/9/43; Gt Falls 28/9/43; Assigned 612BS/401BG [SC-K] Deenethorpe 26/10/43; Missing in Action Politz 7/10/44 with Tom Hill, Wilbur Schmedel, Theo Block, Junius Chadwick, Jim Mullins, Vic Shewbert, Ed Hellenbeck, Buddy Keith, Omer Richardson (9 INT); flak, force landed Bredakara, Swe; 9 INT; Missing Air Crew Report 9758. HEAVEN CAN WAIT aka BOCHE BUSTER. Left Sweden 13/5/45.
Credited with 73 missions, including 67 successive missions without an abort.
Damaged by flak and force landed in Sweden. Returned from Sweden on 13 May 1945.
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39723478
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner ; Togglier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-?
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-802628
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 39043497
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Places
Missions
![A bomber crew of the 453rd Bomb Group wait on a jeep. Letter enclosed with print: '[Left to Right] James E Terwilliger- Waist Gunner, Luhter M Clark- Co-pilot, Carl Powell- Navigator, Lattie P Head- Nose Gunner, Nicholas Radosevich- Pilot, Edmund M Survilla- Tail Gunner, Lt ? Lee- Bombardier (Robert Burgess was the Bombardier on the original crew), Joseph D Craft- Radio operator, Robert Victor- Waist Gunner, Robert O Hanson- Engineer- Top Turret. Original Cadre- Model (Crew #41) 734th Squadron, 453rd Bomb](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-380672.jpg.webp?itok=L5hegKpe)
Related media
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52909
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No 1, 26 Nov 1943, Bremen, Germany. 0908 hours - Twenty aircraft off okay. Four of the briefed crews didn't manage to get...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52910
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No 2, 1 Dec 1943, Solingen, Germany. The Group flew the low position in the 1st Combat Wing, and this was the third wing...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52934
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 3, 5 Dec 1943, Paris, France. Aircraft 42-39825 crashed on take-off into the village of Deenethorpe. It was believed a...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52935
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 4, 11 Dec 1943, Emden, Germany. 1521 hours - All aircraft down except 42-31098 (IW-B - "Penny's Thunderhead") which...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52936
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 5, 13 Dec 1943, Kiel, Germany. Eighteen aircraft attacked the primary target, the bombing having been carried out by PFF...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52938
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 7, 22 Dec 1943, Osnabruck, Germany. The Group flew the lead box position in the Wing formation. After starting the bomb...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52941
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 8, 24 December 1943, Gorenflos, Germany. For some time, through photographic reconnaisance and reports from the French...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52943
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 9, 30 Dec 1943, Ludwigshaven, Germany. This was the longest mission yet flown by the Group with ten hours engine time...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52944
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 10, 31 Dec 1943, Cognac, France. The primary target (Bordeaux) was obscured by cloud so the Wing Leader (Major Seawell)...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52972
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 11, 4 Jan 1944, Kiel, Germany. The lead aircraft, piloted by Capt. Garland with Major Martin as Group Air Commander...
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 52978
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 16, 21 Jan 1944, Pas De Calais. 23 operational aircraft were off by 1230. All planes returned safely by 1554 hours....
- Media Type: Document
- Object Number: Document 53004
- Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 26, 22 Feb 1944, Oschersleben, Germany. 32 aircraft were airborne by 0935. 29 operational aircraft had returned by 1755...
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
Germany | 7 October 1944 |
Revisions
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 9758 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database