42-39953 | American Air Museum

42-39953 Dutch Cleaner aka Flying Coffin aka Yankee Doodle Dandy

Delivered Long Beach 15/10/43; Gr Island 1/11/43; Assigned 569BS/390BG [CC-D] Framlingham 18/11/43; Missing in Action Leipzig 29/5/44 with Carl Nesbitt, Navigator: Wayne Dyer, Bombardier: Melvin Meyer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lyle Larson (4 Killed in Action); Co-pilot: Bob Patterson, Radio Operator: Weldon Pillow, Ball turret gunner: George Hauskins, Waist gunner: Bill Striffler, Waist gunner: Lester Miller, Tail gunner: Joe Finch (6 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft #1 engine on fire, left aileron and wing damaged, crashed and sunk in a marsh at Horst, near Schonwalde, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 5313. DUTCH CLEANER aka FLYING COFFIN and YANKEE DOODLE DANDY.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 390th Bomb Group.

390th Bomb Group

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

A B-17 Flying Fortress (TS-C, serial number 42-9768) of the 333rd Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group, takes off in front of another B-17 Flying Fortress (CC-Z) of the 569th Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group.

569th Bomb Squadron

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

People

Wayne Dyer

Wayne Lou Dyer

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-711360
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Navigator

Garland Epling

Garland Benson Epling

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 35747408
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant

Joseph C Finch

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 7033131
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

George W Hauskins

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 34506814
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Lyle L Larson

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 390th Bomb Group 569th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Places

A bomber crew of the 390th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-31027) nicknamed "Honey Chile" and their dog and monkey mascots "Scrappy" and "Joe". Image stamped on reverse: ‘Fox.’ [stamp], ‘passed for publication 25 Oct 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘289774.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: ‘AERIAL MASCOTS OF FORTRESS CREWS. PH/MoN. As frisky and friendly a pair of aerial mascots as you'll find in Britain are "Scrappy" and "Joe", pup and monkey team belonging to the

Framlingham

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Parham

Missions

379

Date: 29 May 1944

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

29 May 1944

Revisions

Date8 Jan 2024 03:10:55

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Capitalized the words in the A/C "Nickname" field to aid readability.

Date31 May 2022 06:05:33

ContributorDaniel McReynolds

Changes

Sources

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/145965
My grandpa flew the same mission

Date15 Jan 2020 05:31:54

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added a space to the "Summary biography" for readability.

Date15 Jan 2020 05:28:25

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added the nicknames mentioned in the A/C “Description”.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:51

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 5313 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database