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B-17 Flying Fortress
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97105) of the 388th Bomb Group.
Delivered Selfridge Fld 3/2/44; Dorval 4/3/44; Assigned RAF [HB-768]; transferred 561BS/388BG Knettishall 13/3/44; Missing in Action Parchim 7/4/45 with Lew Hickman, Arnold Wolf, Cawthorn Perdue, Albt Vawter, Herman Meyer (5 Prisoner of War); John Hughes, Elwood Eisenhawer, Jim Martin, Bob Wetzel (4 Killed in Action); rammed by Bf109; crashed Luneburg, Ger. (SOC 21/6/47?)
Group
The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...
Squadron
Military | Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
WWII Victory Medal Service Lapel Button
WWII European African Middle Eastern Medal with 3 service bronze stars
Air Medal with 5 oak leaf clusters.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Rammed by enemy aircraft on 7 Apr 45 and crashed near Luneburg in B-17 #42-97105, Prisoner of War (POW).
Air Medal w/Oak Leaf Clusters; POW Medal; Purple Heart,
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) rammed by enemy aircraft and crashed near Luneburg in B-17 #4297105
Military | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) rammed by e/a and crashed near Luneburg in B-17 #4297105
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) rammed by e/a and crashed near Luneburg on 7 Apr 45 in B-17 #4297105
Military | Captain | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Flew 2 tours with the 388th BG. total of 45 missions.
Air Medal w 6/Oak Leaf Cluster; DFC
Military | Staff Sergeant (Technician Third Grade) | Togglier/Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Retired from the USAF as CMSGT
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) rammed by e/a and crashed near Luneberg on 7 Apr 45 in B-17 #4297105
6 July 1944
16 July 1944
18 July 1944
Flew an easy one over Denmark to Germany. Only had one hours sleep between yesterday and today.
16 August 1944
Aircraft factories and oil refineries are the primary targets for this mission. A total of 1090 heavy bombers are despatched. See Mission Details for particulars.
...
25 August 1944
9 September 1944
A burst of flak put a big hole in the nose throwing glass in Antonacci's eyes. Other hits were in the wing and tail. One went through the waist and exploded an oxygen bottle.
13 September 1944
25 September 1944
27 September 1944
This mission is conducted by three elements against industrial targets, an oil refinery and an aircraft factory in Germany. A total of 1,192 heavy bombers are dispatched from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bomb Divisions:
...
28 September 1944
Military site : airfield
Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | Selfridge, Harrison Charter Township, MI 48045, USA | 3 February 1944 |
|
Selfridge AAF |
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| Assigned | Knettishall, Diss IP22 2TH, UK | 13 March 1944 |
|
388 BG |
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| First 388th BG Combat Mission | 11560 Fleury, France | 6 July 1944 |
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Lüneburg, Germany | 7 April 1945 |
|
rammed by Bf 109 84 combat missions |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 10 December 2017 03:20:22 | 466thHistorian | Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, events, person associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=42-97105&dat... |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:10 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 13724 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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