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B-17 Flying Fortress
'Lt Donald H Frank and crew of the 401st Bomb Sqn., 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside the Boeing B-17F "Flying Fortress" 41-24884 coded LL-C 'Bad Egg'. England, 16 July 1943'. 16 July 1943 saw a mission to Vitry on the 91st's schedule, but it was scrubbed. "Bad Egg" lasted with the group until 31 December 1943. Returning from a mission to Cognac, the weather deteriorated to conditions that necessitated a diversion to an alternate field. As the "Egg" was landing, she struck a jeep on the runway whose driver was killed; the ship was repaired and transferred to the 390th BG.
B-17F serial 41-24484 "Bad Egg" (coded LL-C) of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st BG.
A cameraman films an airman of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st BG as his climbs into his B-17F serial 41-24484 "Bad Egg" (coded LL-C).
B-17F serial 41-24484 "Bad Egg" of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st BG.
![Three B-17 Flying Fortresses (LL-B serial number 41-24459), (LL-F serial number 25763) and (LL-C serial number 41-24484), all of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, line up for take off. Handwritten caption on reverse: '22/3/43. 124459 LL-B, 25763 LL-F, 124484 LL-C. 91BG.' Passed for publication 24 Mar 1943. On reverse: Associated Press Ltd and U.S. Army Press Censor [Stamps]. Print No: 254769.](https://www.americanairmuseum.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/freeman/media-408137.jpg?itok=iFIMJ4sr)
Three B-17 Flying Fortresses (LL-B serial number 41-24459), (LL-F serial number 25763) and (LL-C serial number 41-24484), all of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, line up for take off. Handwritten caption on reverse: '22/3/43. 124459 LL-B, 25763 LL-F, 124484 LL-C. 91BG.' Passed for publication 24 Mar 1943. On reverse: Associated Press Ltd and U.S. Army Press Censor [Stamps]. Print No: 254769.
"Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 91st Bomb Group, 8th AF, enroute to Bremen, Germany, fly high above heavy cloud banks at 27,000 feet altitude. 20 Dec. 1943". Lt Hilary H'Bud' Evers and crew aboard 41-24484 'The Bad Egg' at right of picture, at centre, Lt C L Price and crew aboard 42-29679 'Ramblin Wreck'. NARA Ref # 342-FH-3A19626-61044AC
'Formation of Boeing B-17's somewhere over England. 17 March 1943'. NARA Ref # 342-FH-3A05765-78936AC. Centre - B-17F 41-24484 "The Bad Egg" (coded LL-C) of the 401st Bomb Sqn, 91st BG. One of the group's original Fortresses, she flew more than 40 missions; damaged in a landing accident on 31 December 1943, she was repaired and continued her service assigned to the 390th BG. Centre Top - must be 42-5763 "Bomb Boogie" (91st BG 401st BS LL-F, assigned 9 march 43, lost on Stuttgart 6 Sept 43, crash in France).
41-24484, B-17, "Bad Egg"
Nose art of B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24484) nicknamed "Bad Egg" of the 570th Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group.
Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-C] Bangor 31/8/42; Bassingbourn 1/10/42; on return from Cognac 43+m 31/12/43, diverted through weather to Gt Dunmow, Andrews Field, then Hunsdon Afd, with Hilary Evers, Co-pilot: Paul McDuffee, Navigator: Frank Keneley, Bombardier: Wilf Conlon, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Capron, Radio Operator: John Alba, Ball turret gunner: Leith Kerr, Waist gunner: John Husick, Waist gunner: Leon Bryant, Tail gunner: Tony Danucci (10 Returned to Duty), but crash landed hitting jeep and killing driver, Cpl Gillies. Badly damaged, declared salvage and taken to 2 SAD where front half joined 42-31229 and assigned 390BG. THE BAD EGG.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 8/10/43; Gr Island 26/10/43; Romulus 1/11/43; Assigned 570BS/390BG [DI-S] Framlingham 11/11/43; (56m) Missing in Action Dusseldorf 9/9/44, caught fire from explosion of 42-97871; flew two hours on one engine with Pete Hartnett, Co...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 390th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Framlingham, Suffolk, between July 1943 and the end of the war in Europe. The Group was engaged in strategic missions until the invasion of Europe when its role became more of a tactical one. This...
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Squadron
Depot
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 21 November 1944 in AC #43-38545. Escaped and returned. Plane became known as the phantom plane and crew because after the crew bailed out it made a perfect 3 pt landing in a field and when the British went to help the crew there wasn't one!...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
31 December 1943 returned from mission to Bordeaux in B-17 AC #41-24484 'The Bad Egg'. Because of the severe damage to the plane, as it touched down on the runway, it ploughed into the jeep. 10 RTD. H. Evers crew
Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
31 December 1943 returned from mission to Bordeaux in B-17 AC #41-24484 'The Bad Egg'. Because of the severe damage to the plane, as it touched down on the runway, it ploughed into the jeep. 10 RTD. H. Evers crew
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 21 February 1944 in B-17 42-3073 'Lightning Strikes'. As a prisoner of war he was held at Stalag Luft 1 for fifteen months.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Crew abandoned B-17G #42-97125 on 22 Mar 1944 after battle damage on a mission to Berlin. A/c crashed W of Berlin. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Major | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
42-43 and 44-45 served 2 tours.
31 December 1943 returned from mission to Bordeaux in B-17 A/C #41-24484 'The Bad Egg'. Because of the severe damage to the plane, as it touched down on the runway, it ploughed into the jeep. 10 RTD
Military | Corporal | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in ground accident at Andrews Field as his jeep was struck by B-17 'The Bad Egg' #41-24484 of the 91st BG. Because of the severe damage to the plane, as it touched down on the runway, it ploughed into the jeep. He served in the 18th Station...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 17 August 1943 in B-17 #42-3043 'Hitler's Gremlin'. Plane ditched in North Sea. Returned to base. Lockhart crew.
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Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Shot down 19 April 1944 in B-17 #42-97406. Prisoner of War (POW).
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
31 December 1943 returned from mission to Bordeaux in B-17 AC #41-24484 'The Bad Egg'. Because of the severe damage to the plane, as it touched down on the runway, it ploughed into the jeep. 10 RTD. H. Evers crew
Military site : non-airfield
Strategic Air Depots were given separate station numbers to avoid confusion with the main airfield operation; the 2nd Strategic Air Depot, originally at Little Staughton, moved to Alconbury in March 1944 as that airfield, well served by road and rail,...
Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...
Military site : airfield
The airfield, two miles north-west of Great Dunmow, was built in 1942-1943 by the US Army's 818th Engineer Battalion (Aviation), alongside British contractors. B-26 Marauders of the 386th Bomb Group moved in in September 1943, and in October the Group...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Crashed | Andrews Field | 31 December 1943 |
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On return from Cognac 31/12/43, diverted due to weather to Gt Dunmow, Hunsdon Airfield, crash landed hitting jeep and killing driver, Cpl G J Gillies. Badly damaged. (10 x RTD). |
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| Cut and Shut | Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | January 1944 |
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Declared salvage and taken to 2 SAD where front half joined rear of 42-31229 and was assigned 390th BG. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 09 March 2020 01:22:22 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 May 2019 11:46:23 | phil marchese | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Match to Bad Egg |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 19 September 2017 15:25:58 | Al_Skiff | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
Roger Freeman Photo. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 08 December 2015 13:00:37 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings, events, aircraft associations, unit associations, person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM DB Entry. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:02 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log |
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