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42-31681

B-17 Flying Fortress

  • Flying Fortress B17F 42-31681412th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF.

    Flying Fortress B17F 42-31681412th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF.

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  • TSgt Burleigh Wayne Warren, Saint Johnsbury, Vermont B-17 #42-31681 Crashed into the English Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944.

    TSgt Burleigh Wayne Warren, Saint Johnsbury, Vermont B-17 #42-31681 Crashed into the English Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944.

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  • 2Lt William M Shafer, Shafer was a navigator who served with the 95th bomb group and 412th bomb squadron. He was part of the 8th Air Force group awarded 3 Distinguished Unit citations, the first for an aircraft factory bombing raid under intense enemy fire. He and his crew were lost in action when their B-17 bomber crashed into the English Channel due to mechanical failure on June 14, 1944.

    2Lt William M Shafer, Shafer was a navigator who served with the 95th bomb group and 412th bomb squadron. He was part of the 8th Air Force group awarded 3 Distinguished Unit citations, the first for an aircraft factory bombing raid under intense enemy fire. He and his crew were lost in action when their B-17 bomber crashed into the English Channel due to mechanical failure on June 14, 1944.

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Delivered Denver 6/12/43; Kearney 17/12/43; New Castle 8/1/44; Presque Is 9/1/44; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-G] Horham 24/1/44; 39m, Missing in Action Berlin 14/6/44 with Goodwin Wells, Co-pilot: Orman Young, Navigator: Bill Shafer, Bombardier: Kirby Fuller, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Burleigh Warren, Radio Operator: John Naylor, Ball turret gunner: Elvis Carter, Waist gunner: Walter Spears, Waist gunner: Lunsford Edwards,Tail gunner: Rueben Feiler (10 Killed in Action); #1 engine afire, crashed North Sea five miles off Felixstowe, Sfk. UK. Missing Air Crew Report 5794.

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 95th Bomb Group

    95th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...

  • 412th Bomb Squadron

    412th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Elvis Carter

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Lunsford Edwards

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Reuben Feiler

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Kirby Fuller

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • John Naylon

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Frank Psota

    Military | Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group

  • William Shafer

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Walter Spears

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Burleigh Warren

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Goodwin Wells

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-31681 crashed into Channel due to mechanical failure 14 June 1944. Entire crew Killed in Action (KIA).

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Missions

  • 412

    14 June 1944
    Mission #10. Bombed an airfield south of Brussels. Bob Martin flew in place of Hussong.

Places

  • Horham

    Military site : airfield
    Horham airfield was planned and built for RAF use, but handed over to the Eighth Air Force and used initially by the 47th Bomb Group. When they joined the Twelfth Air Force in January 1943, it became home to the B-26 Marauders of the 323rd Bomb Group....

  • Presque Isle Army Airfield

    Military site : airfield

Events

Event Location Date
Crashed North Sea Off Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK 14 June 1944 – 14 June 1944

Missing in Action Berlin 14/6/44. #1 engine afire, crashed North Sea five miles off Felixstowe, Suffolk. (10 x KIA) Missing Air Crew Report MACR5794.
Nicknames
Not yet known
Production block number
B-17G-25-BO
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Coded QW-G.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
17 December 2015 14:07:33 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, markings, events, unit associations, person associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

AAM DB Entry.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:40 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 5794 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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