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

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

Missions

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

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

Date
ContributorDouglas P
Changes
Sources

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

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

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

Date
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...