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42-3265

B-17 Flying Fortress

  • The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3265 ) nicknamed

    The nose art of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-3265 ) nicknamed "Holy Mackeral!" of the 96th Bomb Group. Official caption printed on image: '(GM-1-4-96)(11-8-43).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '23265, MIA 16/12/43.'

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Delivered Denver 18/4/43; Dow Fd 28/5/43; Assigned 337BS/96BG [AW-Z] Andrews Fd 30/5/43; Snetterton 12/6/43; crashed on take off with Bill Stoneburner 9/9/43; Missing in Action Bremen 16/12/43 with pilot Ewing Leblanc, Co-pilot: Vic Navoka, Navigator: Ken Wales, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Silvio Martire, Radio Operator: Pete Dudas, Ball turret gunner: Andy Cowlman, Waist gunner: Bob Sudbury, Waist gunner: John Mattarochia,Tail gunner: George Kinney (9 Killed in Action); Bombardier: Lowell Rogers (Prisoner of War); collision with 42-30860, crashed Kimewerd, S of Harlingen, Hol; Missing Air Crew Report 1568. HOLY MACKEREL.

Service

Units

People

  • Andrew Coleman

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group

  • Peter Dudas

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 96th Bomb Group

  • George Kinney

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Ewing Leblanc

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 96th Bomb Group

  • Silvio Martire

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • John Mattarochia

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Victor Navoka

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #42-3265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Lowell Rogers

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Robert Sudbury

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Kenneth Wales

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 96th Bomb Group
    B-17 #423265 'Holy Mackeral' collided with another aircraft on 16 December 1943. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

Places

  • Snetterton Heath

    Military site : airfield
    Intended to be an RAF bomber base, construction of Snetterton Heath started in Autumn 1942 but continued until mid-1943, because it was extended after allocation as an Eighth Air Force bomber base. It had eventually three concrete runways, 50...

Events

Event Location Date
Failed to Return (FTR) Germany 16 December 1943
Nicknames
Holy Mackeral!
Production block number
B-17F-40-DL Fortress
Manufacturer
Douglas
Markings and paint scheme/livery
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
20 January 2020 17:52:21 phil marchese Changes to media associations
Sources

Removed image not associated with this aircraft.
Date Contributor Update
06 November 2014 12:38:30 Lucy May Changes to nicknames and description
Sources

Added nickname to nickname field.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:43 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1568 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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