41-24487 Eager Beaver
Assigned 368BS/306BG [BO-Q] Westover 25/8/42; Thurleigh 13/10/42; AFSC 1/5/44; was longest serving B-17F in 8th BC; Returned to the USA Tinker 28/7/44; to Williamsport Technical Institute, Patterson Fd, Penn.; 20/6/45 for aeronautical programme, the nose section still on display. EAGER BEAVER.
See article here: http://www.psu.edu/ur/2000/25aug00newswire.html
'PENN COLLEGE DONATES WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT
Pennsylvania College of Technology has donated the last remnant of a World War II B-17 bomber to a Georgia Museum to honor a request from its pilot, retired Air Force Col. Marlen E. Reber. The "Eager Beaver," a nose cone from the historic aircraft that had been displayed at Penn College's Kathryn Wentzel Lumley Aviation Center since 1992, recently arrived at its new home, the Mighty Eighth Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah.'
'The plane flew more combat missions (45) than any other B-17 in the European Theater of operations. After the war, Penn College's predecessor, Williamsport Technical Institute, bought the aircraft for $350 for instructional purposes. Most of the plane was scrapped in 1952, but the nose cone featuring a cartoon-like figure was retained. For more information on Pennsylvania College of Technology, visit http://www.pct.edu'
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36408642
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner / Togglier / Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36350924
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17029571
- Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ground Crew
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 368th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16014808, O-437584
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Missions
- Date: 19 August 1943
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Flew to England |
Westover Air Force Base, Chicopee, MA 01022, USA | 25 August 1942 | |
Other First 8th Air Force aircraft to bomb Berlin |
27 January 1943 |