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42-5392

B-17 Flying Fortress

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Delivered Tulsa 29/11/42; Salina 25/1/43.
Assigned 427BS/303BG [GN-X] Molesworth 26/3/43, then 358BS [VK-O] ; 21m.

Missing in Action Gilze-Rijen 19/8/43 with 6 KIA - (bodies washed up weeks later):
- Pilot: Lauren Quillen
- Co-pilot: John Homan
- Navigator: Bevan Colby
- Bombardier: Bill Irish
- Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Elden Richter
- Radio Operator: Sal DiCosmo.

4 Prisoners of War :
- Ball turret gunner: Elbert Price
- Waist gunner: Joe Brown
- Waist gunner: Paul Abernathy
- Tail gunner: Art Sauer.

Enemy aircraft, #3 was out and wing on fire, ditched North Sea, off Hoek van Holland.
Missing Air Crew Report 285.
STRIC NINE / City of Albuquerque

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 303rd Bomb Group

    303rd Bomb Group

    Group
    The 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...

  • 427th Bomb Squadron

    427th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Paul Abernathy

    Military | Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Joseph Brown

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Bevan Colby

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into the North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA). See more at : http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html

  • Salvador Di Cosmo

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Salvador Di Cosmo served as a radio operator gunner with the 303rd Bomb Group, flying missions out of Molesworth, England. On 19 August 1943, he was shot down in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Di Cosmo was Killed in Action ...

  • John Homan

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • William Irish

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Elbert Price

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Lauren Quillen

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Eldon Richter

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • Arthur Sauer

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 303rd Bomb Group
    Shot down 19 August 1943 in B-17 #42-5392 'Stric Nine'. Plane crashed into North Sea. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 50

    5 April 1943
    The industrial area of Antwerp, Belgium is the primary target of this mission. More specifically the Erla aircraft and engine factories are the highest priority. 79 B-17s are depatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (21); 305BG (18); 306BG (20). 64 of the 79 are...

  • VIII Bomber Command 52

    17 April 1943
    The largest mission to date, 117 B-17s, are despatched to bomb the primary target of the Focke-Wulf Aircraft factory at Bremen, Germany: 91BG (32); 303BG (29); 305BG (28) and 306BG (26). The German Luftwaffe is learning fast and mounts a fierce and...

  • VIII Bomber Command 53

    1 May 1943
    The U-boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are the primary target. 78 B-17s are despatched: 91BG (20); 303BG (19); 305BG (21); 306BG (18). Poor weather frustrates the bombing effort and only 29 of the 78 despatched are effective on the target. The ordnance...

  • VIII Bomber Command 54

    4 May 1943
    The Ford and General Motors vehicle plants at Antwerp, Belgium are the primary target for this mission. 79-B-17 are despatched 91BG (25); 303BG (27) and 305BG (27). 65 0f the 79 despatched are effective on the target. There is moderate flak and fighter...

  • VIII Bomber Command 55

    13 May 1943
    The large fighter sweeps of the last several weeks have not been successful in drawing any significant numbers of German fighters in opposition. So, if the German will not send his fighters up for a one-on-one confrontation with the American P-47s,...

  • VIII Bomber Command 56

    14 May 1943
    Today's operations will be the most extensive yet mounted by VIII Bomber Command. The operations call for a "maximum effort". Whereas in the past a single target or those close together have been chosen, today's effort is against widley separated...

  • VIII Bomber Command 57

    15 May 1943
    The missions of VIII Bomber Command are becoming more sophisticated. The primary stratgic target for today is the U-Boat pens, marshalling yards and Luftwaffe airfield at Emden, Germany. The resistance of Luftwaffe fighters is a primary concern for the...

  • VIII Bomber Command 61

    29 May 1943
    Three primary targets are selected for this mission. The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are selected as the target for a force of 169 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (23); 92BG (22), 303BG (30); 305BG (25) 306BG (24); 351BG (21) and 379BG (24). This is...

  • VIII Bomber Command 62

    11 June 1943
    The harbour facilities, port areas and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven and Cuxhaven, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. This is the largest number of heavy bombers yet despatched on a single mission - 252. This is the first mission flown...

  • VIII Bomber Command 63

    13 June 1943
    German naval facilities and port areas at Bremen, Germany and Kiel, Germany are the primary targets for this mission. A formation of 151 B-17s despatched from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (27); 305BG (24); 306BG (28); 351BG (21); and 379BG (13) are to...

Show more

Places

  • Molesworth

    Military site : airfield
    Molesworth was one of the early stations used by the Eighth Air Force in the UK, first occupied by the 15th Bomb Squadron’s Douglas Bostons in June 1942. Built in 1940 and extended and improved in 1942, Molesworth is most associated with the 303rd...

Events

Event Location Date
Failed to Return (FTR) Hook of Holland, Netherlands 19 August 1943

See more at : http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html
Crashed Somewhere in the North Sea 19 August 1943

Enemy flak caused ship to catch fire, causing the crew to attempt to bail out over the Dutch coast, with the Fortress crashing into the North Sea. Six of the crew were killed, with the other four taken prisoner.
MACR 285
Nicknames
Stric Nine, City of Albuquerque
Production block number
B-17F-50-BO
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Fuselage code GN-X
"City of Albuquerque" with mission and kill tally on right side of nose, "Stric Nine" plus artwork written on left side

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
29 May 2020 01:34:35 CastleBren Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, events, unit associations and mission associations
Sources

303rd Bomb Group records

Edited "Basic Details" section to be easier to understand
Date Contributor Update
17 April 2020 20:06:19 jmoore43 Changes to description
Sources

Added a space in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.
Date Contributor Update
01 April 2015 13:14:49 general ira snapsorter Changes to events
Sources

Update to crash location from http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html
Date Contributor Update
01 April 2015 13:07:41 general ira snapsorter Changes to nicknames, markings, description, mission associations and media associations
Sources

Merged details from duplicate record, with media information provided by John Rogers (User SMLE).

Additional details from : http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:56 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 285 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

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