42-38160 Lonesome Polecat | Little Chub

A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-38160) of the 385th Bomb Group on display in Switzerland after recovery. media-413715.jpg FRE 7704 A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-38160) of the 385th Bomb Group on display in Switzerland after recovery. Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 7704 - A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-38160) of the 385th Bomb Group on display in Switzerland after recovery.

Delivered Cheyenne 3/1/44; Kearney 14/1/44; Assigned 550BS/385BG [SG-J] Gt Ashfield 6/2/44 as LITTLE CHUB; Missing in Action Augsburg 16/3/44 with Bob Meyer, Co-pilot: Boyd Henshaw, tog-Sgt Carl Larsen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Miller, Radio Operator: John Wells, Ball turret gunner: Chas Page, Waist gunner: Elbert Mitchell, Waist gunner: Lou Liening,Tail gunner: Jarrell Legg (9 evaded capture); Navigator: Bob Williams (KIA-chute failure but wia severely); enemy aircraft, pilot looked for an airfield but forced to ditch in Lake Zugersee, Switz. Missing Air Crew Report 3246. LONESOME POLECAT. (Recovered from lake and displayed at St Moritz in 1970; sal 1973.)

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 385th Bomb Group.

385th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Boyd Jack Henshaw

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19094678 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Carl J Larsen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18153997
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier, Flight Engineer, Bombardier; Togglier

Jarrell F Legg

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Louis B Liening

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Robert W Meyer

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 550th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany 16 March 1944

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources
Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

https://www.385thbga.com/wp-content/uploads/Sep-2019_OCR_Optimize.pdf

Date
Contributorhermanns
Changes
Sources

385th BG website

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3246 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-38160: Gallery (5 items)

A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-38160) of the 385th Bomb Group on display in Switzerland after recovery.

Object number: FRE 7702 - A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42...

A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-38160) of the 385th Bomb Group on display in Switzerland after recovery.

Object number: FRE 7704 - A damaged B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42...

A badly damaged WWII bomber airplane attached to large wooden pulley sitting at the edge of water. Men women and children, standing and walking on wooden planks, surround the airplane

Object number: UPL 61027 - Lonesome Polecat (42-38160) 385th BG, being...

A dark colored bomber plane with yellow accents in a construction site surrounded by a chain link fence. Two apartment buildings are in the background

Object number: UPL 61030 - Lonesome Polecat (42-38160) being reconstructed in...