42-39966 | American Air Museum

42-39966 Swinging door / v-for victory.

Delivered Long Beach 20/10/43; Assigned 366BS/305BG [KY-S] Chelveston 5/1/44.

Crashed near Canterbury on return from mission to Saarbrucken on 11 May 1944. Two crew had bailed out over Germany and were captured. MACR 4874

Missing in Action Merkville 3/8/44 with Ben Buttrey, Co-pilot: Bob Heithoff, Navigator: Jim McDermott, Bombardier: Bob Horn, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Edsel Newton, Radio Operator: Walt Crusoe, Ball turret gunner: Warren Dunphy, Waist gunner: Joe Quain,Tail gunner: Chas Newell (9 Prisoner of War); flak, crashed wood near Buhl, Baden-Baden, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 7702.

SWINGING DOOR aka V-FOR VICTORY.

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem, 305th Bomb Group.

305th Bomb Group

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

The insignia of the 366th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group.

366th Bomb Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Bombardment

People

Benjamin J Buttrey

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Walter C Crusoe

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator

Warren J Dunphy

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Robert P Heithoff

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Robert J G Horn

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 366th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a B-17 Flying Fortress is coming in to land. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresse

Chelveston

Site type: Airfield

Missions

A mission log for Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst of the 91st Bomb Group, 3 August 1944 -15 December 1944. Image via Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst, 91st Bomb Group.

512

Date: 3 August 1944

351

Date: 11 May 1944

B-17 Flying Fortresses, (LL-F, serial number 42-97467) of the 91st Bomb Group, (OJ-G, serial number 42-97212) of the 96th Bomb Group and (LD-D, serial number 42-39994) of the 100th Bomb Group in Sweden, 1944. Written on slide casing: 'Sweden, 297467 LL:F, 18/7/44, 297212 OJ:G, 11/4/44, 239994, LD:D 3/3/44.'

8th Air Force 250

Date: 6 March 1944

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

France

3 August 1944

Revisions

Date24 Jun 2015 16:25:06

Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter

Changes

Sources

Updated with details from MACR 4874 - http://www.fold3.com

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:51

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 7702 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database