B-17G-BO 42-31968 MISS IRISH

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.

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.

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."

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."

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.

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.

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)

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)