41-9100 | American Air Museum

Nicknames: Birmingham Blitzkreig
Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
Production block number: B-17E-BO
Manufacturer: Boeing
Markings & paint scheme: This aircraft is pictured by some out there as being Red and White Striped. However, out of the 500+ Airmen I have spoken with none have remembered a red and white Aircraft at Kimbolton and only one said he remembered her as being striped but he said it was like a Green and White Barber's Pole. Only one other Veteran said he remember it being used to form up on as striped but only for formation practice. No one said, it was a striped assembly ship. Most of the Vets said they assembled on a Lead Ship using flares and light signals from a Lead Ship's Tail Gun position. I have also spoken to Children from that area and time frame who played, visited and watched the daily routines around Kimbolton and they all have concurred that this ship was OD Green or OD Green and White striped when they saw it. I have also spoken with local citizens who lived around base #117 Kimbolton, England and they have all said the same.

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41-9100 Birmingham Blitzkreig

An airman of the 379th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress. Handwritten caption on reverse: '161.' Press caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Associated Press [Stamp].

media-413441.jpg FRE 4757 Colonel Maurice "Mo" Preston Commander of the 379th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress. Aircraft was his personal "Hack" and later became an assembly ship. Aircraft # 41-9100 "The Birmingham Blitzkrieg" Squadron fuselage code was FR-U. Handwritten caption on reverse: '161.' Press caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Associated Press [Stamp]. Roger Freeman Collection

Associated records from information in the caption.

Object Number - FRE 4757 - Colonel Maurice "Mo" Preston Commander of the 379th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress. Aircraft was his personal "Hack" and later became an...

As 414BS/97BG Polebrook 11/4/42; flew first 8AF bombing mission with Lt. Thomas H. Borders, the Ball turret gunner: Kent West, credited with destruction of 1st German aircraft destroyed, on 17-August 1942; transferred 92BG Bovingdon 24/8/42; CCRC 1/43; 525BS/379BG Kimbolton, UK as formation a/c, complete with bright paint scheme; RAF Clunto, NI. 8/2/44; Salvaged 18/6/45. BIRMINGHAM BLITZKREIG.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.

379th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

414th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

The insignia of the 525th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group.

525th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

The insignia of the 92nd Bomb Group.

92nd Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

Ground personnel of the 97th Bomb Group reservice a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-9023) nicknamed "Yankee Doodle", following the raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 18 Aug 1942.' [stamp], 'Air=SER (Boeing).' [written annotation] and '216112.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT. Associated Press Photo Shows: No sooner had one of the huge Fortresses landed after the raid than ground crew im

97th Bomb Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Film star turned Intellegence Officer Gene Raymond of the 97th Bomb Group questions his comrades following a raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.', '216129' [ Censor no] and 'Passed for publication 18 Aug 1942' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S. FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT Associated Press photo shows: Gene Raymond ex-Hollywood film star now intelligence office in the U.S. Army Air Corps questions Sgt. Kent West of West Blocton, ALA. Rear Gunner who shot down a

Thomas Hurley Borders

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 14055301 at enlistment, then O-436494
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Fleming Clark Goolsby

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 13032505 at enlistment, then O-412797
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Mortimer V Walsh

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 12032320 at enlistment, then O-724178
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Film star turned Intellegence Officer Gene Raymond of the 97th Bomb Group questions his comrades following a raid on Rouen. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.', '216129' [ Censor no] and 'Passed for publication 18 Aug 1942' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'U.S. FLYING FORTRESSES RAID ROUEN IN DAYLIGHT Associated Press photo shows: Gene Raymond ex-Hollywood film star now intelligence office in the U.S. Army Air Corps questions Sgt. Kent West of West Blocton, ALA. Rear Gunner who shot down a

Kent Russell West

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 97th Bomb Group 414th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 34198623
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Places

Aerial photograph of Kimbolton airfield looking west, the bomb dump and technical site with a T2 hangar is on the left, 10 August 1945. Photograph taken by No. 541 Squadron, sortie number RAF/106G/UK/635. English Heritage (RAF Photography).

Kimbolton

Site type: Airfield

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107124) of the 351st Bomb Group flies over Polebrook.

Polebrook

Site type: Airfield

Missions

A bomber crew of the 97th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress. They are from left to right: Lieutenant Frank R. Beadle, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Sergeant Chester Love, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Sergeant Richard Williams, of Utica, New York; Lieutenant Levon Ray, of Poolville Texas; Glen V. Leland, of St. Petersburg, Florida; Sergeant Frank Rebello, Tiverton, Rhode Island; Sergeant Joseph Cummings, of Oskaloosa, Iowa; and Sergeant Zane Gemmill, of St. Clair, Pennsylvania. Image stamped on reverse: 'Pas

VIII Bomber Command 1

Date: 17 August 1942
Official Description:

Revisions

Date21 Dec 2017 11:07:44

Contributorcody1947

Changes

Sources

Personal Remembrances of 379th BG Veterans and local Citizens living near Base #117 Kimbolton England

Date4 Dec 2017 20:10:24

Contributorcody1947

Changes

Sources

Personal remembrances of 379th BG Veterans and Civilians living in the base 117 Kimbolton area

Date4 Dec 2017 20:08:54

Contributorcody1947

Changes

Sources

Personal remembrances of 379th BG Veterans and Civilians living in the Base 117 Kimbolton Area

Date4 Dec 2017 19:02:33

Contributorcody1947

Changes

Sources

From interviews with former 379th BG Veterans and local civilians living near Kimbolton Base 117

Date3 Dec 2017 14:52:19

Contributorcody1947

Changes

Sources

Personal remembrances of 379th BG Veterans and local Civilians of the Stow Lunga and Kimbolton area.

Date20 Oct 2014 22:29:33

ContributorLee8thbuff

Changes

Sources

Lee Cunningham 20-Oct-2014 "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:07

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

41-9100: Gallery (3 items)

The brightly-painted 'assembly ship' B-17 Flying Fortress of the 379th Bomb Group on the 24th of July 1944. Official caption on image: "71524 A.C." Handwritten caption on reverse: '379BG.' Printed caption on reverse: 'A-71524 A.C. - This gaily painted leadship is used at an 8th Air Force base somewhere in England to organize formations as Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" of the 379th Bomb Group take off on missions over enemy territory. 24 July 1944. U.S. Air Force Photo.'

Object number: FRE 10918 - The brightly-painted 'assembly ship' B-17 Flying...

An airman of the 379th Bomb Group with a B-17 Flying Fortress. Handwritten caption on reverse: '161.' Press caption removed from reverse. On reverse: Associated Press [Stamp].

Object number: FRE 4757 - Colonel Maurice "Mo" Preston Commander of the...

Object number: UPL 25972 - B-17 41-9100