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B-17G-BO 42-31968 MISS IRISH
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B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 100th Bomb Group fly in formation over water on the way to BIG B-BERLIN on March 4, 1944. This photo was taken by S/Sgt Frank Buschmeier , waist gunner on Lt John Gibbons crew flying in Miss Irish. That is Lt Montgomery A/C with the T id on the tail.
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B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, FR and made an emergency landing at Rayson after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 Mar 1944.
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A battle damaged B-17G Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31968) of the 100th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "434 (44). WPU - 3-20-44. Raydon. B-17G - 42-31968. FA-FSAD."
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A battle damaged B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31968) of the 100th Bomb Group. Official caption on image: "434 (44). WPU - 3-20-44. Raydon. B-17G - 42-31968. FA-FSAD."
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A battle damaged radio room position on a B-17 Flying Fortress of 100th BG. A direct hit by an 88mm killed the radio operator in Miss Irish , flown by John P "49 Missions" Gibbons.
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B-17G-35-BO serial 42-31968, coded LN-D of the 350th BS/100th BG. Named "Miss Irish", she suffered a direct hit in the radio room on a No Ball mission to Mimoyecques on 19 March 1944; the radio operator Ed Walker fell from the ship and was lost, and gunner Frank "Bud" Buschmeier managed to splice the damaged elevator and rudder control cables back together by hand with square knots. The aircraft limped back to Raydon with no further injury to the crew; the ship was written off after only three missions.
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Page 2 of MACR 15220 about the crew on board 42-37655 which crash-landed in Raydon (the document mentions "Gravesend") on 19 March 1944 (NARA)
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Page 3 of MACR 15220 with details about the circumstances of the crash-landing of 42-37655 in Gravesend on 19 March 1944 and the death of Radio Operator Edward Walker Jr.
(https://catalog.archives.gov/id/91164067 - NARA)
Delivered Cheyenne 11/1/44; Savannah 21/1/44; Morrison 2/2/44; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-D] Thorpe Abbotts 3/2/44. Battle-damaged by Flak South of Calais, France on the 19 March 1944 mission to Mimoyecques, France. 19/3/44 with Pilot John P. Gibbons, Co-pilot: Robert Dykeman, Navigator: Everett M. Johnson, Bombardier: Sterling B. Blakeman, Flight engineer/Top Turret gunner: Ira L. Arnold, Ball Turret gunner: Bernard L. Spragg, Right Waist gunner Myron J. Ettus, Left Waist gunner: Frank W. Buschmeier (9 Returned to Duty). Radio Operator: Ed Walker (Killed in Action, hit by 88mm shell in radio room). The Fortress limped home and crash landed at Raydon A/fd, Suffolk. UK. Salvaged. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220. MISS IRISH.
Service
Units
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Group
"The Bloody Hundredth", so-called because of a reputation for losing a high number aircraft and crews, flew B-17s from Thorpe Abbotts, Norfolk. Their losses were not the highest of any Eighth Air Force Group but on several occasions the Group lost many...
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People
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Engineer/Top Turret Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, Fance and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Shot down by Flak on the...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 100th Bomb Group
Robert Dykeman was Co-Pilot on B-17G #42-31968 'Miss Irish'. On return from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France on 19 March 1944, the ship made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room. Returned to...
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Returned To Duty (RTD). Missing Air Crew Report -...
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Military | Colonel | Pilot / Squadron Commander | 100th Bomb Group
John Gibbons was Pilot of B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returning from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew...
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Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. RTD. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220. Returned...
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator / Gunner | 100th Bomb Group
B-17G#42-31968 'Miss Irish' returned from a mission to Marquise/Mimoyecques, France and made an emergency landing at Raydon after taking a direct hit from an 88mm in the radio room on 19 March 1944. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 15220.
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Missions
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19 March 1944
V-Weapon sites in France are the targets for this mission. A combined force of 193 B-17s of 1st and 3rd Air Divisions are despatched. Mission Summary follows:
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Places
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Military site : airfield
Home of the 'Bloody Hundredth’, a Bomb Group with a reputation for high casualty rates, Thorpe Abbotts was under USAAF control from June 1943 to the end of the war. Some of the airfield survives today, and the control tower houses the 100th Bomb Group...
Events
Not yet known