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B-17 Flying Fortress
All of these ships were part of the "Original 41". They were the first aircraft assigned to the 379th BG and flown overseas by the Group. Closest is 42-3113 FR-F "No Nose Art"; Then 42-29891 WA-N is "Dangerous Dan" - Next is 42-29893 WA-Q "El Diablo" shot down over Nantes, France 9/16/43 - Furthest away is 42-5828 WA-O; later she would be re-designated WA-D and named "Sweater Girl". WA is code for the 524th BS and FR- is code for the 525th BS. Assigned Air Combat Crews: 42-3113 - Noel R. Britten Crew 42-29891- William Jones Crew 42-29893 – Lester Brumley Crew 42-5828 – William Brownlow III Crew
Delivered Cheyenne 4/3/43; Dow Fd 16/4/43; Assigned 94BG /43; transferred 525BS/379BG [FR-F] Kimbolton 3/43; Missing in Action St Nazaire 29/5/43 with Art Hale, Co-pilot: Stuart Sharp, Navigator: Vern Andruskeiwicz, Bombardier: Jerry Ahern, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Ford, Radio Operator: Joe Lasitor, Ball turret gunner: Chester Whitney, Waist gunner: Chester Moore, Waist gunner: Lee Hilton, Tail gunner: Larry Josselyn (10 Prisoner of War); flak, crash landed with pilot & rop, at Pontivy, 30 miles N of Vannes, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 1292.
Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down on 29 May 43 in B-17 #42-3113, hit by flak and fighters, crashed near Pontivy, Prisoner of War (POW).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 11 June 1943 in B-17 #42-3114, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW). The 525th SQ Submarine pens at St. Nazaire, France May 29th 1943, Mission #1 Aircraft.
POW
Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW) 23 months.
LOM/ PH/ GC/ POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Shot down 29 May 1943 in B-17 #42-3113, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | France | 29 May 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 29 April 2021 20:17:47 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Corrected a typo in the A/C "Description" - "Ahern" was misspelled. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 29 April 2021 20:09:57 | jmoore43 | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 November 2020 21:34:44 | jmoore43 | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Removed comment info from the nickname field where it does not belong. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 31 March 2019 13:27:59 | phil marchese | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
AAM image |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1292 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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