media-7124.jpeg UPL 7124 Replacement 95th Bomb Group crew poses with a Vega-built training Flying Fortress with 'Ten Aces' artwork. This crew is Tony Hamlik, Co-pilot: George Rudloff, Navigator: Hal Smith, Bombardier: Bob Diles, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Roy Brosi, Radio Operator: Wendall Theiman, Ball turret gunner: Earl Joswick, Waist gunner: John Pluenik, Waist gunner: Chas Dager and Tail gunner: Ray Revels. The ten became Prisoners of War after a mission to Germany (Missing Air Crew Report 7409).

Earl B. Joswick is in the front row, third from the right.

B-17 Flying Fortress, production block no. TB-17F-VE/TB-40. AAF serial number is unknown, however it is in the 42-5700 to 42-6100 range. This aircraft is most assuredly not the Douglas B-17G-30-DL 42-38178. It is a Stateside training Fortress (TB) built by Lockheed Vega. The features of the plane are unmistakable. Compare to 42-5964 in Bowers, Fortress in the Sky, (published by Sentry). The tail markings of the background plane compare favorably to Vega 42-6001 on the MacDill website which hosted the 488BG RTU, later 326 Base Unit.

The combat aircraft from the 95BG associated with the crew Missing Aircrew Report (MACR 7409) is the Douglas B-17G-30-DL, 42-38178, however it is not pictured here and confirmation that 178 carried the nose art of TEN ACES or EASY ACES is not positively documented.

Moved the edits of user 'phil marchese NDU '97' from the aircraft entry to makes it clearer that UPL 7124 does not show B-17 42-38178 but that B-17 42-38178 was flown by the crew as listed on the aircraft's page. See Revision messages on the aircraft entry: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/7101