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Personnel of the 55th Royal Armoured Corps with a B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Marina the II" of the 381st Bomb Group during a visit to Ridgewell, 1 September 1943. Not To Be Published 1 Sep 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'British Tank Men Visit "Flying Corps". Men of the 55th Royal Armour Corps, many of whom have fought in Libya with the 8th Army, were invited to an American aerodrome "somewhere in Britain" to see Flying Fortresses. Keystone Photo Shows:- The R.A.C. men crowd around a Flying Fortress which has had many raids to its credit, while a member of its air crew explains the machine to them. ABS/F.Keystone. 1,2,3,4,4a.' Censor no: 281607. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, Ministry of Information, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].
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Major Shackley and crew of the 381st Bomb Group in front of a Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Martha The II' at 8th Air Force Station 167, England. 9 January 1944.
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Personnel of the 381st Bomb Group talk about their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Martha" to visiting British tank drivers of the 55th Royal Armoured Corps. A censor has obscured the gun inside the aircraft's nose cone. Image stamped on reverse: 'Keystone Press.' [stamp], 'Passed as censored 1 Sep 1943.' [stamp] and '281608.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'BRITISH TANK MEN VISIT "FLYING FORTS". Men of the 55th Royal Armoured Corps, many of whom have fought in Libya with the 8th Army, were invited to an American Aerodrome "somewhere in Britain" to see the Flying Fortresses. Keystone Photo shows:- The R.A.C. men crowd around a Flying Fortress which has had many raids to its credit, while a menber of its air crew explains the machine to them. ABS/F.Keystone. 1,2,3,4, 4A.'
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A group of soldiers from the training regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps looks at the bombing mission markings on the Boeing B-17 'Martha II' Of The 381st Bomb Group during their visit to the USAAF base at Bovingdon, England. 29 August 1943. - B-17F 42-29761 "Martha the II" (VP-W 533rd BS, 381BG, 8AF. Completed 28 missions.
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B-17F 42-29761 "Martha the II" (VP-W 533rd BS, 381BG, 8AF. Completed 28 missions.
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Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 381st Bomb Group, flying through dense clouds while en route to bomb enemy installations somewhere in Europe. These Fortresses are stationed at an airbase in England. 42-37786 and 42-29761.
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Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 381st Bomb Group, flying through dense clouds while en route to bomb enemy installations somewhere in Europe. These Fortresses are stationed at an airbase in England. 42-37786 and 42-29761.
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2nd Lt. William H Johnson [ Decatur, MS ], stands by his Boeing B-17 'Martha II' after returning to his base in Essex, England from a mission. Lt. Johnson is bombardier on the plane. 15 December 1943.
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Personnel of the 55th Royal Armoured Corps in the waist gun position of a B-17 Flying Fortress (VP-W, serial number 42-29761) of the 381st Bomb Group, during a visit to Ridgewell. Passed as censored 1 Sep 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'British Tank Men Visit "Flying Corps". Men of the 55th [obscured] Royal Armour Corps, many of whom have fought in Libya with the 8th Army, were invited to an American aerodrome "somewhere in Britain" to see Flying Fortresses. Keystone Photo Shows:- The R.A.C. men look out of the gun port in the "waist" of the Flying Fortress. ABS/F.Keystone. 8,9.' Censor no: 281599. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, Ministry of Information, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].
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Personnel of the 55th Royal Armoured Corps in the waist gun position of a B-17 Flying Fortress (VP-W, serial number 42-29761) of the 381st Bomb Group, during a visit to Ridgewell. Passed as censored 1 Sep 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'British Tank Men Visit "Flying Corps". Men of the 55th[obscured] Royal Armour Corps, many of whom have fought in Libya with the 8th Army, were invited to an American aerodrome "somewhere in Britain" to see Flying Fortresses. Keystone Photo Shows:- The R.A.C. men look out of the gun port in the "waist" of the Flying Fortress. ABS/F.Keystone. 8,9.' Censor no: 281600. On reverse: Keystone Press Agency, Ministry of Information, US Army Press Censor ETO and US Army General Section Press & Censorship Bureau [Stamps].
Delivered Denver 15/2/43; Walker 27/2/43; Salina 10/3/43; Presque Is 8/4/43; Assigned 338BS/96BG Grafton Underwood 17/4/43 RUTH L II (re-named LUCKY LADY); transferred 533BS/381BG [VP-W] Ridgewell 14/7/43; Missing in Action 28m Brunswick 30/1/44 with Henry Steele, Co-pilot: Jim Settle, Navigator: Bob Anderson, Bombardier: Leopold Flores, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Perry Beach,Tail gunner: Paul Welch (6 Prisoners of War); Radio Operator: Wilbert Eason, Ball turret gunner: Harry Lee, Left Waist gunner: Harry Holtz, Right Waist gunner: Pete Hlynsky (4 Killed in Action); flak & enemy aircraft, crash landed between Bakel & Deurne, Hol. MACR 2244. MARTHA II.
Fitted with twin .50 nose gun configuration, which prevented the bombardier from using a bomb sight, resulting in this aircraft being used as a 'wing' aircraft to support the formation leader.
Service
Units
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Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
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Group
The 96th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses to targets across occupied Europe from May 1943 to April 1945.
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People
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Steele crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to the marshalling yards at Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. He had glass in is eyes from the exploding nose...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Steele crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW-190's on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. S/Sgt Beach was wounded in the aircraft so Sgt Eason (radio operator) manned...
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Military | Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Steele crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. Sgt Eason had left his radio to man the top turret guns after S/Sgt...
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Military | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Alexander, J. Crew
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
Bombardier, Steele crew. Original member of the Garrett crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. He had a right knee injury. Evaded...
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Military | 381st Bomb Group
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Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Steele crew. Original member of the Garrett crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F 42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. Killed in Action (KIA). As Sgt Hlynsky was...
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Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Steele crew. Original member of the Garrett crew. 381st BG, 533rd BS, 8th AF. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. Killed in Action (KIA). Sgt Holtz was...
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Military | Major | Bombardier | 381st Bomb Group
September 1943 - July 1944
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Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Steele crew. Original member of the Garrett crew. Shot down by FW 190s on return from mission #62 to Brunswick, Germany on 30 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-29761 'Martha II'. MACR 2244. Sgt Lee was found by the Dutch underground still in the aircraft...
Show more
Missions
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22 June 1943
The German rubber industry (Chemische Werke Hüls AG) at Marl (district Hüls-Nord), Germany, is the primary objective of this mission and is assigned to the Bomb Groups with the most expericence. Also the industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is assigned...
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28 July 1943
The German aircraft industry at Kassel (Fieseler works) and Oscherleben, Germany are the primary targets of this mission. 182 B-17s from: 91BG (20); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (21); 306BG (24); 351BG (21); 379BG (19); 381BG (20); and 384BG (20) are...
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30 January 1944
This mission has the aviation industry at Brunswick, Germany as the primary target. The mission is composed of a combined force pf 777 heavy bomber aircraft despatched in three elements: 1st Bomb Division; 2nd Bomb Division and 3rd Bomb Division. The...
Places
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Military site : airfield
Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...
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Military site : airfield
Built during 1941-42 as an RAF bomber station, Ridgewell operated as a satellite to RAF Stradishall until May 1943. It had three concrete runways, initially 36 pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Taken over by the Eighth Air Force in June...
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Military site : non-airfield
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Military site : airfield
Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...
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Events
Event |
Location |
Date |
Manufactured |
Seattle, WA, USA |
1943 |
Built at Boeing.
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Delivered |
18500 E 6th Ave, Aurora, CO 80011, USA |
15 February 1943 |
Delivered Denver AAF 15-Feb-43.
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Assigned |
Grafton Underwood, Kettering NN14, UK |
17 April 1943 |
Assigned 338BS, 96BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Assigned |
Ridgewell, Halstead CO9, UK |
14 July 1943 |
Transferred 533BS, 381BG, 8AF USAAF.
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Crashed |
5761 Bakel, Netherlands |
30 January 1944 |
Missing in Action 28m Brunswick 30/1/44 flak & enemy aircraft, crash landed between Bakel & Deurne, Hol. 6 x POW, 4 x KIA MACR 2244.
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