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B-17 Flying Fortress
A crashed B-17G Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31237) of the 385th Bomb Group at Honington, 26 November 1943. Official caption on image: "1393 - IMRU - 11-26-43 - Honington - B-17G - 42-31237 F.A."
Delivered Cheyenne 7/10/43; Grand Island 16/10/43; Wilmington 19/10/43; Assigned 551BS/385BG [HR-O] Gt Ashfield 26/10/43; battle damaged Pas de Calais 1/5/44 with Russell Novotny(& crew from 452BG), Co-pilot: Fred Hageter (2 Returned to Duty), Navigator: Franklin Murdock, Bombardier: Ernie Lundgren, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dave Miller, Radio Operator: George Langer, Ball turret gunner: Lloyd Winegarner, Waist gunner: Roger Clark, Waist gunner: Emil Smedley,Tail gunner: Ray Smith all bailed over France, (8POWs?); flak KO’d #4, but limped home to crash landed Mendlesham, Sfk. UK. only to catch fire and burn out; Salvaged 2/5/44. STORK aka ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND.
Group
The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Col. Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
Incident May 1, 1944, in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | Major | Pilot | 385th Bomb Group
Co-pilot in incident in AC#42-31237. Returned from operations, crash landing at Mendlesham
DFC Oak Leaf Cluster, AM 5 Oak Leaf Cluster
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 385th Bomb Group
Incident May 1, 1944, in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | Lieutenant | Bombardier | 385th Bomb Group
May 1, 1944 Incident in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | 487th Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 385th Bomb Group
Incident in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 385th Bomb Group
Incident in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
Flew on plane #4231237 'Stork' became Prisoner of War (POW) no explanation of what happened. He must have bailed out because plane crashed landed at English base. Combat Chronology cites 385th BG at Great Ashfield Incident May 1, 1944, in AC#42-31237....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
May 1, 1944, in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 385th Bomb Group
Incident May 1, 1944, in AC#42-31237. Returned fromoperations crash landing at Mendlesham
Military site : airfield
The airfield was built in 1942 by John Laing & Son Ltd. 108,000 tons of concrete was used in its construction, creating a Class 'A' airfield suitable for heavy bombers. The 385th Bomb Group took up residence in the summer of 1943, and remained at the...
Military site : airfield
Built in 1942-1943, Mendlesham's first flying unit was the RAF's No. 310 Squadron - a Czechoslovakian unit. The airfield then became home to the USAAF 34th Bomb Group. This unit flew missions from Mendlesham in B-24s and B-17s.
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | France | 1 May 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 06 July 2020 05:41:17 | Bianca Barbato | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 September 2016 23:12:22 | hermanns | Changes to unit associations |
| Sources | ||
385th BG website |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 September 2016 23:11:00 | hermanns | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
385th BG website |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:37 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4455 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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