43-38038 Flying Chapel
The crew of 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr outside the mess hall at Hunter Army Air Field, near Savannah, Georgia. The crew completed B-17 operational training at Biloxi, Mississippi, and was sent to Hunter Field to pick up a new B-17 for the deployment flight to England.
Back row (L to R): Sgt John White Jr (engineer), Sgt Harold J. Stone (radio operator), Sgt Richard E. Burres (tail gunner), Sgt Elmer E. Koepsell (waist gunner), Sgt David W. Sala (ball turret gunner)
Front row (L to R): 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr (pilot), F/O George H. Pendarvis (copilot), F/O Gunnar K. Olsen (navigator), 2nd Lt John H. Strong (bombardier)
These men all perished in B-17G 43-38038 in a midair collision with 43-37969 over France on March 19, 1945.
Delivered Cheyenne 19/6/44; Kearney 28/6/44; Grenier 9/7/44; Assigned 838BS/487BG Lavenham 12/7/44; battle damaged Jena 19/3/45 with Dan Smoke was in mid air coll with 43-37969; crashed Couvron, France; Salvaged 21/3/45. All 9 aboard 43-38038 were KIA. CREW: Sgt John White Jr (engineer), Sgt Harold J. Stone (radio operator), Sgt Richard E. Burres (tail gunner), Sgt Elmer E. Koepsell (waist gunner), Sgt David W. Sala (ball turret gunner), 2nd Lt Daniel C. Smoke Jr (pilot), F/O George H. Pendarvis (copilot), F/O Gunnar K. Olsen (navigator), 2nd Lt John H. Strong (bombardier).
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- 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: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37586104
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 838th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: T-128391
- Highest Rank: Flight Officer
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16060893
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Lavenham/Alpheton Airfield
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 487th Bomb Group 836th Bomb Squadron
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
France | 19 March 1945 |
Revisions
Added an association to A/C #43-37969 per the info in the A/C description section.
NARA, 487th BG,
https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/43-38038-flying-chapel/
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15844 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database