41-24464 Excalibur
AAMIB
Object Number - UPL 50799 - Navigator 2nd Lt. Rollin P. Ball, 324th BS, 91st BG, survived the ditching of his ship, B-17F 41-24464 "Excalibur" returning from the 4 MAR 1943...
Assigned 367BS/306BG Westover 17-Aug-42; Thurleigh 13-Oct-42; transferred 324BS/91BG [DF-J] Bassingbourn 20-Feb-43; Missing in Action (MIA) 2m Hamm 4-Mar-43. Shot down by Lt Kostler (IV/NJG1) in Me 110, KO’d #1 & #3, oil pouring away before #4 was feathered ditched 40 miles west of Texel Is, Holland, in North Sea; five rescued by Royal Navy minesweeper and landed at Grimsby; EXCALIBUR. 3 KIA 7 RTD (Rescued by Royal Navy). No MACR issued. P 1LT Allen Brill (KIA); CP 1LT Allan W. Lowry (KIA)
N 1LT Roland P. Ball (RTD); B 1LT Robert F. Brubaker (RTD)
E/TTG TSGT William G. Dickson (RTD); RO SSGT D. C. Wells (RTD)
BTG SSGT James E. Morgan, Jr. (KIA); WG SSGT James M. Bechtel (RTD)
WG SGT L. W. Wolfington (RTD); TG TSGT J. L. Baker (RTD)
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- 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: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-793974
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 7009151
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 37088931
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 17019995 / O-442336
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 91st Bomb Group 324th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 14044021 / O-660325
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
Places
- Site type: Airfield
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Missions
- Date: 4 March 1943
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Assigned |
Bassingbourn, UK | 20 February 1943 | Transferred to 324BS, 91BG, USAAF. |
|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) |
West of Texel, Netherlands | 4 March 1943 | Sustained severe damage from fighter attacks and was forced to ditch in the North Sea 40 miles west of Texel Island, Holland. |
Revisions
Added some punctuation to the A/C “Description” to aid readability.
Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Corrected typo in FTR notes.
Lee Cunningham 23-Jun-2015. Added Production Block # and Manufacturer and Nickname per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Story", Roger A. Freeman; Made connections to Units, Place and Mission withing existing websitet data; Added FTR event, converted dates to military-style signification; added crew position, rank, names and dispositions per "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces", Stan Bishop & John A. Hey MBE.
