B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17F-BO* ROSE OLIVE and her crew. * below block F- 95-BO ( This is not the B-17G 42-31607.) John Akers (Bottom Left) is her Pilot for this mission and her last
Rose Olive - Serial No. 42-31607
Delivered Cheyenne 27/11/43; Wendover 12/10/43; Presque Is 19/1/44; Assigned 748BS/457BG [B] Glatton 23/2/44; Missing in Action Merseburg 12/5/44 with John Akers, Co-pilot: Chas Scott, Navigator: Lloyd Dell, Bombardier: Leo Kruszinski, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Ed White, Radio Operator: Bob Marsteller, Ball turret gunner: Austin Moore, Waist gunner: Harry Peterman, Waist gunner: Chris Milgo,Tail gunner: Wallace Taft (10 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Naunheim/Eifel, six miles SE of Mayen, SW of Koblenz, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 4800. ROSE OLIVE.
This plane 42-31607, named "Rose Olive," was piloted by Lt John Akers. After dropping bombs on the target at Lutzkendorf, the plane apparently developed engine trouble or other malfunctions and dropped from the formation with two engines out. It dropped far behind the rest of the group and apparently had other problems for the crew abandoned the plane, parachuted to safety and were POW's for the rest of the war.
Group
The 457th Bomb Group began combat operations during the Big Week of 20-25 February when American bombers carried out concentrated raids against German aircraft bases, factories and assembly plants. The air crews' targets on that first mission were...
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot - B-17 Flying Fortress | 457th Bomb Group
John Akers Jr grew up in Greenville, TX on a cotton farm. Graduated High School May 1939. His days consisted of working the cotton farm with 2 mules and picking the cotton. After seeing the events of Pearl Harbor during his time in the civilian...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Radio Operator | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW). Held at Stalag Luft IV.
Military | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #42-31607, Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 457th Bomb Group
Shot down 12 May 1944 in B-17 #4231607. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW
12 May 1944
Military site : airfield
Glatton, which lay mostly in the parish of Conington, was built by the 809th Engineer Battalion (Aviation) of the U.S. Army in the last months of 1942. Unusually, the base's three runways surrounded Rose Court Farm, which remained a working farm...
Other location
Military site : airfield
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 12 May 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 20 October 2020 19:00:59 | phil marchese | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
associated image of # 607 does not compare to F series image of nose art. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 October 2020 18:58:38 | phil marchese | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
FLYING FORTRESS 1936 1945, MARCHESE |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 October 2020 21:35:08 | Oliver Akers | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
update info |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 October 2020 21:14:57 | Oliver Akers | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Info Update |
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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 4800 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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