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B-17 Flying Fortress
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97904) nicknamed "Lady Jeanette" of the 452nd Bomb Group drops bombs over the target. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Stuttgart 5 Sept 44. 452 BG Mott A/C.'
Lt. William E. Metzger
Medal of Honor winner Lt. Donald Joseph Gott .
Memorial to crew of Lady Jeanette, B-17G, 42-97904 in Hattonville, France.
Memorial to crew of Lady Jeanette, B-17G, 42-97904 in Hattonville, France.
Jack Pershing Farnham Sr. on graduation day (class of 44-A) Morton Air Academy, Blythe, California (Got his wings). Soon he will leave for the 452nd Bomb Group (H), 730th Squadron at Deopham Green, England.
Delivered Tulsa 31/3/44; Kearney 29/5/44; Dow Fd 6/6/44; Assigned 729BS/452BG Deopham Green 7/6/44 WHY WORRY; Missing in Action Saarbrucken 9/11/44 with Donald Gott, Co-pilot: Bill Metzger, Radio Operator: Bob Dunlap, Tail gunner: Herman Krimminger (4 Killed in Action); Bombardier: Joe Harris, Navigator: John Harland, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Russell Gustafson Wounded in Action, Ball turret gunner: Jim Foss, Waist gunner: Bill Robins (5 Returned to Duty); flak KOd #4, crashed Hattonville, Fr.; Salvaged 18/11/44. LADY JEANNETTE.
Group
The 452nd Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deopham Green, Norfolk, from January 1944. The air crews hit strategic sites in Germany but also supported the movement of ground forces across Europe after D-Day. On 6 June 1944 itself, the Group...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Bob Codeglia survived 34 missions as a waist gunner between September 5th 1944 and February 6th 1945. His Mission list is in the PDF Document
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 452nd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) 9 November 1944 in B-17 #42-97904 'Lady Jeannette'
AM w/ 2 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Lady Jeannette-1944
PH
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
Unsuccessfully attempted to crash land a crippled B-17 #42-97904 'Lady Jeannette' when he discovered that a crew member was too badly wounded to bail out with the rest of the crew. Co-pilot 2nd Lt. William Metzger also stayed with the aircraft and was...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Top Turret Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
28 missions. Shot down on 28th mission on 9 November 1944 at Saarbrucken. B-17 'Lady Jeannette'
Air Medal w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster/ PH
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 452nd Bomb Group
Was Navigator on board Lady Jeannette with Lt. Gott's and Lt. Metzger's crew. Both were Killed in Action (KIA) and both were awarded Medal of Honor on a 9 November 1944 mission to Saarbrucken.
Military | Captain | Bombardier | 452nd Bomb Group
Was Bombardier on Lt. Gott's and Lt. Metzger's crew. Both Killed in Action (KIA) and both awarded Medal of Honor 9 November 1944. Two other crewmen Killed in Action (KIA) as well.
Air Medal/ PH
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 452nd Bomb Group
Killed in Action (KIA) plane crashed in friendly territory near Hattonville, France. He had flown 22 missions. Plane was 'Lady Jeannette' #42-97904.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 452nd Bomb Group
Gave up his parachute to another crew member and remained with B-17 #42-97904 'Lady Jeannette' when a crew member was too badly wounded to bail out over enemy territory. Pilot 1st Lt. Donald Gott also stayed with the aircraft and was awarded the MOH...
9 November 1944
Military site : airfield
Deopham Green was another air base constructed after America's entry into the war to Class A standards for use by the B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber. When the 452nd Bomb Group arrived in January 1943 they found a main runway of 2,000 yards, two...
Crash site
Not yet known
| Date | Contributor | Update |
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| 23 December 2019 12:58:08 | phil marchese | Changes to production block number and manufacturer |
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Corrected manufacturer |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 December 2019 18:09:25 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
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Added a space for readability in the description. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 December 2019 17:53:53 | jmoore43 | Changes to unit associations |
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Added a connection to 8th AF. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 December 2019 17:27:59 | jmoore43 | Changes to production block number and manufacturer |
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Added plane info from photo of Lady Jeannette plaque. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 13 December 2019 00:58:37 | jmoore43 | Changes to unit associations |
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Added BS & BG per info from plane's description. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 20:38:24 | Pete | Changes to description, person associations and mission associations |
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452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 20:34:49 | Pete | Changes to nicknames |
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452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 19:29:12 | Pete | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 19:27:58 | Pete | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 June 2015 19:26:48 | Pete | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
452nd Bomb Group Assoc. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:16 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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