B-17 Flying Fortress
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (OR-B, serial number 42-31585) nicknamed "Mount 'N Ride" of the 323rd Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group. Nose art painted by Tony Starcer. Image by William D "Bill" Pulliam, 91st Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: '91 BG.'
The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (OR-B, serial number 42-31585) nicknamed "Mount 'N Ride" of the 91st Bomb Group. Image by William D "Bill" Pulliam, 91st Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: '91 BG.'
42-31585 "Mount N Ride"
"Formation of Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortresses" over France." - 42-31585 "Mount'n Ride" OR-B 323BS, 91BG, 8AF.
Delivered Cheyenne 26/11/43; Paine 28/11/43; Gt Falls 5/12/32; Cheyenne 7/12/43; Kearney 16/12/43; Oklahoma City 7/1/44; Kearney 12/1/44; Romulus 17/1/44; Grenier 18/1/44; Assigned 323BS/91BG [OR-B] Bassingbourn 1/2/44; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Doye Bradford, Co-pilot: Bob Mersereau, Navigator: Alby Trendell, Bombardier: Jack Athearn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Hobart Peterson, Radio Operator: Norman Bunin, Ball turret gunner: Bob Modell, Waist gunner: Lucian Wright, Waist gunner: Nick Merletti, Tail gunner: Malcolm Bradt (10 INT); flak KO’d #2 & #3, dropped behind and, force landed Dubendorf, Switz; Missing Air Crew Report 3221. Ret Burtonwood, UK. Salvaged 8/10/45. MOUNT 'N RIDE.
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Bradford a graduate of the University of Tulsa was a pilot with the 91st Bomber Group 323 Sqdn when he was shot down over Germany, and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland. Interned (INT) for 11 months. Returned to Bassingbourn when 91st celebrated its 300th mission.
...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Dropped out of formation with two engines feathered on a mission to Lechfield 16 March 1944 in B-17G #42-31585 'Mount 'N Ride'. Landed in Switzerland, Interned (INT).
Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 16 March 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 29 October 2021 01:07:04 | 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 |
| 26 June 2021 00:18:37 | acbernstein1 | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 16 August 2018 17:55:59 | AlistairM | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Typo |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:39 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3221 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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