42-29925 | American Air Museum

42-29925 The Duchess

42-29925 "The Duchess" 351st BG, 510th BS

UPL 54693 UPL 54693 B-17 42-29925 'The Duchess' , 510BS, 351BG. "The Duchess", 42-29925, 351st BG, 510th BS. Pictured after Group Mission 10 on 22 Jun 1943 to Huls, Germany; Target: Synthetic Rubber Factory - Caption:
Colonel Richard Gimbel of the 8th Air Force Service Command is shown here with the crew of “The Duchess”, the Flying Fortress in which he flew on his first raid over enemy-held territory in Europe.
Standing, left to right: 2nd Lt. P. B. Miller, navigator; 1st Lt. D. P. Van Brunt, bombardier; Col. Gimbel; 1st Lt. J. B. Carraway, pilot; 2nd Lt. David H. Palmer, co-pilot.
Kneeling, left to right: T/Sgt. Lester J. Alexander, waist gunner: S/Sgt. S. G. Schmidt, tail gunner; S/Sgt. W. J. Mile, top turret gunner; T/Sgt. G. F. Cupp, radio operator; S/Sgt. C. L. Eisenhart, waist gunner, and S/Sgt. F. H. Dillenbeck, ball turret gunner.

NARA, item 116419AC

Object Number - UPL 54693 - B-17 42-29925 'The Duchess' , 510BS, 351BG. "The Duchess", 42-29925, 351st BG, 510th BS. Pictured after Group Mission 10 on 22 Jun 1943 to Huls,...

Delivered Cheyenne 17/3/43; Pueblo 28/3/43; Presque Is 9/4/43; Assigned 510BS/351BG [TU-L] Polebrook 17/4/43; 39m 2 BAD Warton 5/4/44; Returned to the USA Tinker 7/6/44; Hendricks 9/8/44; Rapid City 12/9/44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 14/12/45. THE DUCHESS.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 351st Bomb Group.

351st Bomb Group

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

The insignia of the 510th Bomb Squadron, 351st Bomb Group.

510th Bomb Squadron

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

People

Hollywood actor Clark Gable in the waist gun position of a a B-17 Flying Fortress of the 91st Bomb Group. Passed for publication 6 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Clark Gable Serves In England: Clark Gable has slipped into this country as Capt. Gable and is serving with the U.S. Army Air Force somewhere in England, as a Gunnery Instructor. He hopes that his movements will not be accompanied by the publicity that he had a while ago, because he wants to get down to the job as others are doing. Keysto

William Clark Gable

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 351st Bomb Group 359th Bomb Squadron 508th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 19125741 at enlistment, then O-565390
Highest Rank: Major
Role/Job: Cameraman, Gunner, Actor

David H Palmer

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 510th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 19094208 / O-736323
Highest Rank: Captain
Role/Job: Pilot

Edward C Piech

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 351st Bomb Group 509th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-735206 (12054183 at time of enlistment)
Highest Rank: Captain
Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-107124) of the 351st Bomb Group flies over Polebrook.

Polebrook

Site type: Airfield

Missions

VIII Bomber Command 108

Date: 4 October 1943

VIII Bomber Command 106

Date: 2 October 1943

The wing of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5888) nicknamed "Elusive Elcy" of the 94th Bomb Group flies off as a result of a direct hit, during a mission over Emden. Handwritten caption on reverse: '94 BG. 27/9/43.' Printed caption on reverse: 'A DRAMATIC INCIDENT DURING THE AIR WAR OVER EUROPE: A WING BREAKS OFF A FLYING FORTRESS DURING A DAYLIGHT BATTLE, AND THE STRICKEN BOMBER BEGINS TO TURN OVER AS IT STARTS ON THE WAY DOWN TO EARTH. This picture illustrates one of the hazards which the big A

VIII Bomber Command 104

Date: 27 September 1943

Ten men in Air Force uniform posed in two rows in front of an airplane. Five men standing to the rear and four men kneeling in front. Some of the men are wearing flying gear.

VIII Bomber Command 100

Date: 23 September 1943

VIII Bomber Command 97

Date: 16 September 1943

Revisions

Date6 Jan 2022 09:40:35

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/production-block/b-17f-75-bo-42-29832-4…

Date25 May 2021 18:59:27

ContributorDouglas P

Changes

Sources

https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/production-block/b-17f-75-bo-42-29832-4…

Date16 Oct 2020 19:14:20

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added the A/C nickname listed in the A/C “Description” section.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:24

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

42-29925: Gallery (5 items)

Personnel of the 351st Bomb Group sit atop a B-17 Flying Fortress (TU-L, serial number 42-29925). Film still from 'Combat America' (1943). Written on slide casing: 'TU-L, 22925 510 BS/ 351 BG.'

Object number: FRE 6013 - Personnel of the 351st Bomb Group sit atop a B-17...

A bomber crew of the 351st Bomb Group, including Hollywood Actor Clark Gable, with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Duchess". Image stamped on reverse: 'International News photos.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 25 Sep 1943.' [stamp] and '285399.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'DS pictured standing in front of the Flying Fortress "Duchess" after the successful US 8th Air Force (ETO) raid on Nantes (France) the morning of September 23rd are back row, L to R: Lt James O Bradley, Cincinatti

Object number: FRE 9784 - A bomber crew of the 351st Bomb Group, including...

Object number: UPL 20658 - Captain Clark Gable and the crew of B17F "Duchess"...

Object number: UPL 54681 - A bomber crew of the 351st Bomb Group, including...

42-29925 "The Duchess" 351st BG, 510th BS

Object number: UPL 54693 - B-17 42-29925 'The Duchess' , 510BS, 351BG. "The...