8th Air Force
Wing 45th
Div 3rd
Bomb group 447th, Motto: "FIAT JUSTITIA RUAT COELUM" - Let justice be done though the heavens should fail
Squadron 711th, squadron callsign: "Curlhair", code: IR
Plane Tail number 430441 42-97497, , Serial number 297497, c/n 6862, type B-17G-15-VE, line xxx, Lockheed/Vega
Name: Tuxedo Tomie (or Tommy in some books) (named after tail gunner Fred "Tomie" Thompson)
Pilot: Clifford Leach (went back to England in 8/44 and was killed)
Co pilot: Robert I. Harwood (went back to England as a pilot for a second tour and was shot down Oct. 7th 1944 around Merseburg and captured. Spent time in Stalag Luft 3 until liberation. Survived the war and had 2 daughters and a son. )
Bombardier: William Rogers (J.O.Burke Jr's 1st son, Clifford Rogers Burke named after Clifford Leach (pilot) and William Rogers (bombadier) He went back to England and was killed.
Navigator: Charles W Hancock
Radio man: J. Wisenbloom
Bottom turret: Irvin E Swain (lives in Buffalo NY, retired police chief
Top turret: Wayne Jones (now lives in Picket SC, wife Essie, 2 boys and a girl))
Right waist gunner: James O Burke Jr
Left waist gunner: Harry Young
Tuxedo Tommie was lost during a mission over Bremmen Germany on October 12, 1944. Mission report states that Tuxedo Tomie was seen "with 4 engines feathered, the group had encountered no flak and at this point, the cause of feathering is unknown. At approximately 1130 hours, the aircraft called over VHF that the other two engines were cutting out and that the crew was leaving." The aircraft was last seen under control, but going down rapidly.

Delivered Cheyenne 2/12/43; Kearney 16/12/43; Presque Is 23/12/43; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 27/12/43; Missing in Action Bremen 12/10/44 with Martin Unger, Cesar Martinez, Dave O’Brien, Harry Kilgore, Ray Jung, Bill Demartini, Herman Gordon, John Ware (8 Prisoner of War); Bill Reiner (Killed in Action); flak, crashed Osnabruck, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 9573. TUXEDO TOMMY.