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B-17 Flying Fortress
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97192) of the 388th Bomb Group that has crash landed. Handwritten caption on reverse: '297192, F , 388 BG.'
Delivered Cheyenne 5/2/44; Gr Island 20/2/44; Grenier 10/3/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 12/3/44; Missing in Action Rostock 11/4/44 with Art Thomas, Co-pilot: John Harper, Navigator: Joe Tilley, Bombardier: Lew Clemens, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Manuel Silva, Radio Operator: Chas Karczewski, Waist gunner: Lew Stokosa, Waist gunner: Bill Telemeco,Tail gunner: Bob Brookman (9INT); Ball turret gunner: Joe Masgula (KIA-killed by Swedish AA); enemy aircraft, crash landed Gardsanga, Sweden. Missing Air Crew Report 3775. BOTTLED IN BOND.
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 | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
PH
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #42-97192 'Bottled in Bond'. Landed in Sweden, Interned (INT).
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 11 April 1944
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #42-97192 'Bottled in Bond'. Landed in Sweden, Interned (INT).
PH
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 #4297192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 April 1944 in B-17 42-97192 'Bottled in Bond. ' Landed in Sweden. Interned.
23 March 1944
The industrial areas of Brunswick, Munster, Osnabruck, and Achmer, Germany as well as the airfield at Handorf, Germany become the targets for a force of 768 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. The bomber gunner claims on German...
26 March 1944
9 V-Weapon sites in the Pas-de-Calaise, France area and 7 V-Weapon sites in the Cherbourg, France area are the targets of this mission. A combined force of 573 heavy bombers from all three Air Divisions are despatched. Mission Summary follows:
...
1 April 1944
The industrial areas of Ludwigshafen was the traget for this mission, but the mission was frustrated by heavy cloud cover and navigational errors that resulted in the mission going haywire. 3rd Air Division and 2nd Air Division despatch heavy bombers....
8 April 1944
9 April 1944
10 April 1944
11 April 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...
Other location
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered | Cheyenne, WY, USA | 5 February 1944 |
| Assigned | Knettishall, Diss IP22 2TH, UK | 12 March 1944 |
| Crash Landed | 247 97 Gårdstånga, Sweden | 11 April 1944 |
|
Damaged by German fighters, The Thomas Crew sought refuge in Sweden. All crew survived except the BTG who was killed by Swedish AA Fire. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 15 December 2017 02:17:03 | 466thHistorian | Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, events and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=42-97192&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 3775 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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