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B-17 Flying Fortress
AC # 42-107092, 'Freckles', 'Umbriago', 615th BS, 401st BG
Delivered Tulsa 17/2/44; Kearney 22/2/44; Grenier 6/3/44; Assigned 710BS/447BG Rattlesden 13/3/44; transferred 615BS/401BG [IY-E] Deenethorpe 23/3/44 FRECKLES!; Missing in Action Munich 31/7/44 with Jay Ossiander, Co-pilot: Roy Cooper, Navigator: Dominick Manolio, tog-Don Rouse, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Penrose Reagan, Radio Operator: Walt Dengler, Ball turret gunner: Ancil Anderson, Waist gunner: George Clarke,Tail gunner: Tom Higdon (9INT); flak, #2 & #3 both feathered, force landed Dubendorf, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 7825. UMBRIAGO!
Group
The 401st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, from November 1943 to June 1945. Starting their missions at that time meant the focus was very much on the coming invasion attempt of France planned for the following...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 x combat missions. Bill Trimble crew. Failed to Return (FTR) Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield in B-17 42-40002 19-Jun-44; force landed Le Pouyau. Evaded capture (EVD). See the page with details about his evasion at...
Military | Master Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 605BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago' Interned (INT)
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Chief Master Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Bill Trimble crew.
Awards: DFC, WWII Victory, EAME (1 x Battle Star).
Post war: Served in Korean and Vietnam conflicts.
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago'. Interned (INT)
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 401st Bomb Group
INT Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 7/31/44 in B-17 Umbriago #42107092
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 401st Bomb Group
Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 7/31/44 in B-17 Umbriago #42-107092, Interred (INT).
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago'. Interned (INT)
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 401st Bomb Group
Assigned to 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF. Damaged by flak and landed in Switzerland on 31-Jul-44 in B-17 42-107092 'Umbriago'. Interned (INT)
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
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:
...
20 April 1944
24 April 1944
19 May 1944
28 May 1944
12 July 1944
Picked up a few flak holes. Overcast weather all the way. Another long ride. This makes 17 completed Missions.
13 July 1944
18 July 1944
Flew an easy one over Denmark to Germany. Only had one hours sleep between yesterday and today.
19 July 1944
Schweinfurt, Germany ball bearing plant was the target. Hit by flak and fell behind formation at 8:45 am above Aachen, Germany and crashed at Haren, Belgium at 10:06 am in the air district.
20 July 1944
A rough one. Bombed an oil refinery near Leipzeig. Flak put several holes in the plane; ine in number 3 gas tank. Came back on 3 engines.
Military site : airfield
Deenethorpe was a base purpose-built for American heavy bombers, with the Class A regulation 2,000 and 1,400-yard runways. All the buildings on site,such as the accommodation and administrative blocks, were temporary. In December 1943, several local...
Military site : airfield
Built for the Eighth Air Force in 1942, Rattlesden had three concrete runways, 50 hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. Intended to be a twin-engine B-26 bomber base, it was originally a satellite for nearby Rougham, and first occupied from...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 31 July 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 19 November 2021 17:03:49 | acbernstein1 | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=107092 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 31 October 2021 20:54:28 | acbernstein1 | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=107092 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:15 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 7825 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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