Arnett Crew 717, 857th BS, 492nd BG, 44-40171. Lt Arnett signed out for B-24J 44-40171 which was named the BOOMERANG by the crew. No nose art was ever painted. In April 1944, they flew the Boomerang to North Pickenham, England, via the southern route. Lt Byrne, the Squadron Operations Officer, accompanied them, thus bumping Sgt Oakes onto the Queen Elizabeth. They were delayed getting to England by a stick of chewing gum. While they were refueling in Brazil, a stick of gum fell out of S/Sgt Easley's shirt pocket right into one of the tanks. It took the better part of a week before the mechanics were able to get it out. This crew flew a total of 3 missions. Lt Briggs flew with them on their first mission. Since their third mission was led by a Pathfinder plane, F/O Vergos, the crew's bombardier, was left behind. As the crew was approaching their target over Brunswick, Germany, they were caught without fighter protection and were shot up by the GAF. They were forced to drop out of formation and try to return to England. The two engines they had lost couldn't be feathered, making the trip to base more difficult. Just as soon as they entered the channel, they lost a third engine, forcing them to return to the German occupied Dutch coast for an emergency landing, during which Sgt Robertson was killed. The rest of the crew were quickly taken prisoner. The officers were taken to Stalag Luft III, while the enlisted men all went to Stalag Luft IV.