42-31098 Penny's Thunderhead

Delivered Cheyenne 20/9/43; Gt Falls 2/10/32; Scott 25/10/43; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-B] Deenethorpe 30/10/43;

Missing in Action Emden 11/12/43 with Dick Kaufman, Bombardier: Bob Fitzgerald (2 Returned to Duty), Co-pilot: Fred Robinson (washed up Oosterbierum, Hol. 9/3/44), Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Howard Shaw (washed up Terschelling Is. 22/6/44), Ball turret gunner: Forrest Cope, Waist gunner: Tage Nielsen, Waist gunner: Henry Bargfrede (washed up 14/6/44), Tail gunner: Ed Masterman (6 Killed in Action), Navigator: John Barrett, Radio Operator: Don Carlson (2 POW - picked up by life-boat Twente from Harlingen).

Sustained battle damage and three bailed, thinking ship doomed, but pilot & bombardier brought ship back to RAF Lindholme, Yorks. Missing Air Crew Report 8711.

Take-off as spare for mission 26/3/44 with Carleton Wilson, Co-pilot: Curtis Kelley, Navigator: John Connery, Bombardier: Francis Fogarty, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Quinn, Radio Operator: Carl Anderson, Ball turret gunner: Bill Passeno, Waist gunner: Jim McMahon, Waist gunner: George Smith,Tail gunner: Gerald Smith (10 Returned to Duty); turned back over Channel, then burst a tyre on landing. PENNY'S THUNDERHEAD.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35612826
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 683892
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-809538
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Crashed

HMP Lindhome, Bawtry Road, Hatfield, Doncaster DN7 6EE, UK 11 December 1943 Then RAF Lindholme

Revisions

Date5 Sep 2021 22:33:24
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesChanges to mission associations
Date5 Sep 2021 22:32:01
Contributoracbernstein1
ChangesChanges to mission associations
Date15 Dec 2016 11:40:23
ContributorLucy May
ChangesChanges to nicknames, description, events, unit associations, person associations and place associations
Sources

Added connections to airmen's records from information in biography field.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:36
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 8711 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database