media-413559.jpg FRE 4875 A B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Carolina Queen" of the 381st Bomb Group after crash landing 8 April 1944.

Official caption on image: "51925 AC."
Printed caption on reverse: '51925 AC - Better Late Than Never - Five hours after the other ships in the group had returned from a bombing mission over Oldenburg, Germany, April 8, 1944, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Carolina Queen" pilot by Lt. Leslie A. Bond of Chickasha, Okla., came sliding home in a flawless belly landing.

Unable to lower the ship's wheels to landing position, Lt. Bond was compelled to circle about until what is believed to be the first successful tool-passing job in the ETO was accomplished.

Lt. Col. Conway S. Hall of North Little Rock, Ark., deputy group commander, piloted the Fortress from which special tools used to jettison "Carolina Queen's" ball turret, were passed by cable to a crewman standing in the radio hatch of the latter ship. Patterned after the successful aerial refueling stunts of old endurance fliers the wartime version was enacted. With tools so unsually provided "Caroline Queen" ball turret was able to be loosened and finally dropped over the English Channel.

Lt. Bond returned to base and brought his ship in for a perfect landing, made easier on both pilot and plane by absence of obstructing fuselage straining under turret. Only damage was bent propeller and skinned under-carriage and it will be in the air very shortly.
U.S. Air Force Photo.' Roger Freeman Collection

Added connections from information in caption.