42-5172 Thunderbird, Marnita

First Lieutenant Harold Beasley and his crew from the 91st Bomb Group, return to Bassingbourn after flying a raid on Antwerp in a B-17 Flying Fortress (LG-T, serial number 42-5724) nicknamed "Thunderbird". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright by Planet News Ltd 3 Johnson's Court London E.C.4.’[stamp], 'Passed for Publication 6 Apr 1943' [stamp].'256837' [Censor no]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Photo shows:- 1st Lieut Harold Beasley (centre) with members of his crew on their return from the Antwerp raid media-379162.jpg FRE 725 First Lieutenant Harold Beasley and his crew from the 91st Bomb Group, return to Bassingbourn after flying a raid on Antwerp in a B-17 Flying Fortress (LG-T, serial number 42-5724) nicknamed "Thunderbird". Image stamped on reverse: 'Copyright by Planet News Ltd 3 Johnson's Court London E.C.4.’[stamp], 'Passed for Publication 6 Apr 1943' [stamp].'256837' [Censor no]. Printed caption on reverse: 'Photo shows:- 1st Lieut Harold Beasley (centre) with members of his crew on their return from the Antwerp raid. And April 6th 1943 PN.' Press caption for image series: ‘EXCLUSIVE PICTURES AS CREWS RETURN FROM RAID. Night and Day air blitz of enemy continues. “Forts” smash Axis factories at Antwerp. Raid carried out by crews who took part in Paris raid previous day. The greatest air offensive in history is being carried out by the Anglo-American air forces. For 72 hours bombs have been crashing down on Hitler’s Europe in the West almost nonstop. Axis Factories, ports and shipping have felt the weight of allied bombs. On Sunday American Fortresses raided the Renault works at Billancourt, near Paris with telling effect. On Monday the same crews took part in a smashing attack on the Erla plane engine works at Antwerp, where Minerva car engines used to be made. In addition to the great damage inflicted by the heavy weight of the bombs a number of German Fighters were shot down by the bombers. One of the American Fortresses piloted by 1st Lieut Harold H Beasley of Andalusia, Alabama shot down four German fighters in the Paris raid and another one during the Antwerp Raid. NOTE TO CENSOR: This is the general story for the series of pictures herewith. Each of which bears its individual descriptive caption. Planet News. USAF Facility Visit. 6 Apr 1943.’ Roger Freeman Collection

AAMIB

Object Number - FRE 725 - First Lieutenant Harold Beasley and his crew from the 91st Bomb Group, return to Bassingbourn after flying a raid on Antwerp in a B-17 Flying...

Delivered Tulsa 5/10/42; Salina 21/1/43; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-Z] Bassingbourn 26/3/43; Missing in Action 4m Bremen 17/4/43 with Harry Beasley, Co-pilot: Walt McLain (2 Killed in Action); Navigator: Harry Sipe, Bombardier: Matt Michaels, Radio Operator: Mark Schaefer, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jay Franklin, Ball turret gunner: Jim Branch, Waist gunner: John Cagle,Tail gunner: Ed Jediak, Waist gunner: Everett Creason (8 Prisoner of War); flak damage, crew bailed over Bruchhausen, while ship crashed Beckeln, near Harpstedt, 12 miles SW of Bremen,Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 15521. THUNDERBIRD.



17 April 1943, Target: Bremen, Aircraft Plant.

"Thunderbird”, also was hit hard by flak over the target and limped along only a few minutes longer than did “Hellsapoppin.” “Thunderbird” took two direct hits on the No. 3 and 4 engines. The right wing was set ablaze immediately with burning oil. There was also fire in the radio room and bomb bay. Lt Beasley hit the fire extinguisher switch. Nothing.



The ball turret gunner, S/Sgt James L. Branch, looked up into all the fire, and knew “Thunderbird” was in serious trouble. He figured it was time to get out. Sgt Branch had been hit in the corner of an eye with a piece of shrapnel and blood covered the eye. He called Lt Beasley over the intercom and asked if he could come up into the fuselage. Lt Beasley told him he could. After getting out of the turret, Sgt Branch grabbed a fire extinguisher and went up to the radio room and bomb bay, but could not extinguish the fires. Lt Beasley then asked Sgt Branch to go to the rear of the plane to see if everyone was out. He had already rung the bail-out bell. Sgt Branch went to the rear of the fuselage and saw that the tail gunner, S/Sgt Johnnie Cagle, had bailed out through the tail hatch. He then told the waist gunners “to get back there”, to the waist hatch, and went up and told the radio operator, T/Sgt Jay M. Franklin, “get your ass back there and bail out.” Sgt Franklin started back, but passed out in the door of the radio compartment, apparently from lack of oxygen. Sgt Branch and the right waist gunner, S/Sgt Everett L. Creason, picked him up and threw him out, assuming he would come to and open his chute when he fell to where oxygen was adequate. He did. Sgt Creason bailed out and Sgt Branch called up to the pilot to tell him everyone else was out and he was leaving. After leaving the aircraft, Sgt Branch opened his chute and looked up. He saw “Thunderbird” rise up on its back, turn up on its nose and go straight down to the ground.



While all this was going on in the rear of the aircraft, the flight engineer, T/Sgt Mark L. Schaefer, came down from the top turret and stood in back of the pilot and copilot to assist them in getting control of the aircraft. He saw Lt Beasley push the control column all the way forward and then pull it all the way back. No response! The controls were shot out. Lt Beasley and the copilot, Lt McCain, were getting ready to get out of their seats and snap on their chutes as Sgt Schaefer went down to the nose hatch and bailed out.



As the action had begun to develop, the bombardier, 2Lt Mathew Michaels, who was on his first mission, saw puffs of black smoke around the aircraft. He thought to himself, “This must be what they had told us about.” Just then “Thunderbird” took direct flak hits in the right wing. Lt Beasley rang the bail-out bell, which Lt Michaels mistakenly took to be only a warning. While Lt Michaels was waiting for the second bail-out bell to ring, the navigator, 1Lt Harry D. Sipe, headed for the nose hatch and bailed out. At that time a fighter appeared along side the bomber. Lt Michaels fired at him with the side gun, but missed. “Thunderbird” immediately afterwards started spinning downward. A case of .50 caliber machine gun ammunition pinned Lt Michaels to the top of the nose compartment. He heard glass breaking as his head crunched against one of the windows. A fighter came in on “Thunderbird” from head on, blowing away part of the nose with 20 mm cannon fire. The next thing Lt Michaels knew he was floating free of the plane. Either he had been blown out the nose when the 20 mm cannon shells hit or was stunned by the explosion and did not remember going out the nose hatch. He was still fairly high up and pulled his rip cord in time to float safely to the ground.



Lts Beasley and McCain must have been locked into the plane as it nosed over and dived downward. Their bodies were discovered in the wreckage of “Thunderbird” by the Germans.



“Thunderbird” crashed about 20 miles southwest of Bremen. (The First of Many: First Crews of the 8th Air Force by Lowell L. Getz)

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

First Lieutenant Harold Beasley,of the 91st Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress. Press caption for image series: ‘EXCLUSIVE PICTURES AS CREWS RETURN FROM RAID. Night and Day air blitz of enemy continues. “Forts” smash Axis factories at Antwerp. Raid carried out by crews who took part in Paris raid previous day. The greatest air offensive in history is being carried out by the Anglo-American air forces. For 72 hours bombs have been crashing down on Hitler’s Europe in the West almost nonstop. A
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-379237
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17031845
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38088051
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19013658
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 401st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 17033758
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany 17 April 1943

Revisions

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AAM

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AAMIB

Date
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Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 15521 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-5172: Gallery (3 items)