B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 21/11/43; Kearney 1/12/43; Bangor 9/12/43; Assigned 332BS/94BG [XM-C] Rougham 2/1/44; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Alwin Kocher, Co-pilot: Henry Wallace, Navigator: Metro Wozniak, Bombardier: Ed Moreau, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bill Wood, Ball turret gunner: Joe Anderson, Waist gunner: Gil Dobrinski, Tail gunner: Elmer Alderman (8 Prisoner of War); Radio Operator: Martin Egan, Waist gunner: Herb Chase died in hospital of wounds (2 Killed in Action); flak, crashed Hopfen Lake, two miles NW of Fussin/Allgau, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 3227. THE OLD SARGE.
Group
Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas...
Squadron
Part of 94th Bomb Group.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation and crashed NNW of Fussen/Allgau, GR after nine of the crew baled out. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Shot down 16 March 1944 in B-17 #4231546 'Old Sarge. ' Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation and crashed NNW of Fussen/Allgau, GR after nine of the crew baled out. Killed in Action (KIA).
Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military | Major | Co-Pilot | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Flew 13 combat missions. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge...
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 94th Bomb Group
Upon landing on return from a combat mission that was recalled on 9 Feb 1944, the right landing gear failed on B17F #42-3109. RTD. Attacked by fighters on a mission to Augsburg/Ulm, GR on 16 Mar 1944, B-17G #42-31546 'Old Sarge' fell out of formation...
Military site : airfield
The airfield was purpose-built for American bomb groups and as such had a 2,000 yard main runway that lain in concrete with a tarred and wood-chipped surface. The scale of bases such as this meant that very often the technical, administrative and...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 16 March 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 12 November 2021 18:04:35 | 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 |
| 13 December 2017 18:43:44 | supertruck19 | Changes to nicknames |
| Sources | ||
Plane was The Old Sarge, not The Old Barge. Update provided by co-pilot Ed Wallace's son, Bill Wallace |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:39 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3227 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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