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B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 25/9/43; Gr Island 14/10/43; Assigned 709BS/447BG Rattlesden 23/11/43; Missing in Action Pas de Calais 13/2/44 with Don McDonald, Co-pilot: Norman Masett, Navigator: Orlando Hamlin, Bombardier: Tom Ellison, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Larry LePage, Radio Operator: Rich Plouck, Ball turret gunner: John Hagan, Waist gunner: Jim Pitts, Waist gunner: Ed Patterson,Tail gunner: Henry Abelmann (10 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed Fraincourt-St-Quentin, 17 miles W of Abbeville, Fr. Missing Air Crew Report 2533. RED ASS, possibly (DONKEY).
Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville, FR after crew bailed out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G 42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
On his 6th mission and serving as Co-Pilot, Norman Massett was on board B-17G #42-31157 when it was shot down by Flak on 13 February 1944 and crashed near Abbeville,France after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville. Prisoner of War ...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Member of original crew of B-17G 'Scheherezade. ' Flew 7 combat missions and when she was damaged by flak on 7th mission, flew 8th mission on substitute B-17 ('Red Ass'). Shot down by flak near coast of occupied France. Whole crew bailed out and were...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 447th Bomb Group
Shot down by flak and crashed near Abbeville,FR after crew baled out on a mission to Ardouval and Marquenville on 13 Feb 1944 in B-17G #42-31157. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
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 | 13 February 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 27 September 2014 18:40:36 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2533 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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