42-39998 First Love
Delivered Long Beach 29/10/43; Kearney 16/11/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-V] Snetterton 30/11/43; Missing in Action Berlin 8/5/44 with Capt Milton Shoesmith, Co-pilot: Carl Clark, Navigator: Bill Blount, Bombardier: Leen Tyler, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Armande Fazone, Radio Operator: Baldermero Estala, Ball turret gunner: George Diggins, Waist gunner: Larry Light, Waist gunner: Don York,Tail gunner: Ray Wallach, obs-Lt Bill Young (11 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft and flak, crashed Rosthausen, four miles NW of Cloppenburg, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 4569.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13019503 / O-414564
- Highest Rank: Major
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 18056049 / T-122539
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33326319
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 38114463
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 96th Bomb Group 337th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12143967
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Station 138
Missions
- Date: 8 May 1944
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Delivered |
Long Beach AAF, CA | 29 October 1943 | Delivered Long Beach AAF 29-Oct-43. |
|
Assigned |
Snetterton, UK | 30 November 1943 | Assigned to 337BS, 96BG, 8AF USAAF. |
|
Crashed Failed to Return (FTR) |
4 miles NW Cloppenburg, Germany | 8 May 1944 | Failed to Return (FTR) Berlin 8-May-44 with Milt Shoesmith crew; enemy aircraft and flak, crashed Rosthausen, four miles NW of Cloppenburg, Ger. 11 x POW MACR 4569 |
|
Manufactured |
Long Beach, CA | Built at Lockheed. |
Revisions
My grandfather was the Top Turret Gunner with this crew on 42-39998. His name is Armando Fazzone and was a POW in Germany for a year after this plane crashed. I believe the plane was nicknamed First Love and I might have a newspaper article that references the nickname.
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4569 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database