42-6080 Floozie Flossy | Mary Ruth | The WeWa Special
Object Number - UPL 19221 - B-17F 42-6080 ' Mary Ruth the WeWa Special' 336BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF.
Delivered Long Beach 15-Jul-43; Cheyenne 18/7/43; (Fitted with Sperry gyroscope); Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-P] Horham 3/9/43; force landed Metfield Afd with L.G. Hamby 16-Dec-43; force landed Tibenham Afd with J.D. Pearson 5-Jan-44; force landed Knettishall Afd with T.L. Barksdale 21-Jan-44; 29m, transferred 303BG then 36BS Alconbury (RCM) as Aphrodite/Azon aircraft 23-Mar-44; also Harrington for Carpetbagger ops; Returned to the USA Bolling 11-Feb-45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 19-Feb-46. MARY RUTH - THE WE WA SPECIAL.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 20447474 / O-801237
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13057861
- Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 335th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34262740
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
![Staff Sergeant Donald W. Crossley, a tail gunner of the 95th Bomb Group in position inside a B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: 'Associated Press.' [stamp] Handwritten caption on reverse: '21/9/43.' A printed caption was previously attached to the reverse of print, this has been lost, however considering the publication date, press agency and subject matter this was likely to have read: 'AWARDS TO THE HIGH-SCORING GUNNER. The Distinguished Flying Cross and an oak leaf cluster- the equivalent](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379270.jpg.webp?itok=7S4HAZqB)
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 334th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 15107390
- Highest Rank: Technician Third Grade
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 95th Bomb Group 336th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Winfarthing
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 23 March 1944
![A bomber crew of the 381st Bomb Group return to base after a mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31761) nicknamed "Rotherhithe's Revenge". Image stamped on reverse: 'Sunday Pictorial for Censor.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 10 Mar 1944.' [stamp] and '310673.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'BACK FROM BERLIN. Scenes this week at a Bomber station of the U.S. Air Force , somewhere in England. The crew of the Flying Fortress "Rotherhithe's Revenge", a British subscribed ship](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-380068.jpg.webp?itok=3h76SN3N)
- Date: 8 March 1944
- Date: 3 March 1944
- Date: 29 February 1944
- Date: 25 February 1944
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Delivered |
Long Beach, CA, USA | 15 July 1943 | Delivered USAAF, Long Beach 15-Jul-43. |
|
Assigned |
Horham, Eye, Suffolk IP21, UK | 3 September 1943 | Assigned 336th BS, 95th BG, 8AF 3-Sep-43. |
|
Crashed |
Metfield, Harleston, Suffolk IP20, UK | 16 December 1943 | Force landed Metfield Airfield with pilot L G Hamby 16-Dec-43. |
|
Crashed |
Tibenham, Norwich, Norfolk NR16, UK | 5 January 1944 | Force landed Tibenham Airfield with pilot J D Pearson 5-Jan-44. |
|
Crashed |
Knettishall, Diss, Suffolk IP22, UK | 21 January 1944 | Force landed Knettishall Airfield with pilot T L Barksdale 21-Jan-44. |
|
Other Transferred |
Fersfield, Diss, Norfolk IP22, UK | 23 March 1944 | Transferred 388th BG Aphrodite [drone] aircraft 23-Mar-44. |
|
Other Returned Stateside |
Bolling Air Force Base Heliport (BOF), Washington, DC 20032, USA | 11 February 1945 | Returned to the USA, Bolling Field 11-Feb-45. 29 mission veteran. Sold for scrap. |
|
Other Reclaimation Finance Commission (RFC) |
Kingman, AZ, USA | 19 February 2046 | Sold for scrap at Kingman, Arizona. |
|
Manufactured |
Burbank, CA, USA | Built at Lockheed/Vega. | |
|
Other Transferred |
Molesworth, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | Transferred to 303rd BG. | |
|
Other Transferred |
Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire PE28, UK | Transferred to 36th BS for Radio Counter Measures work. | |
|
Other Transferred |
Harrington, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN6, UK | Transferred to 492nd BG for Carpetbagger ops. |
Revisions
Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Converted dates to USAAF military-style signification; added RFC event per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story" Roger A. Freeman
