42-31475 | American Air Museum

42-31475

Cheyenne 5/11/43; Gr Island 21/11/43; Detroit 26/11/43; Presque Is 30/11/43; Assigned 364BS/305BG Chelveston 28/12/43; Missing in Action Sorau 29/5/44 with Bob Wilkinson, Navigator: George Cooley, Bombardier: Larry Singleton, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: John Deckard, Radio Operator: Joe Kobierecki, Ball turret gunner: Marvin Beasley, Waist gunner: Harry Arfman, Waist gunner: Earl Ketchledge, Tail gunner: Verner Bartholomew (9 Prisoner of War); Co-pilot: Ezra Shapiro (Killed in Action); crippled by enemy aircraft, crashed Prittisch, nine miles E of Schwerin, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 5339.

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem, 305th Bomb Group.

305th Bomb Group

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

The insignia of the 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group.

364th Bomb Squadron

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

People

Harry W Arfman

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 18155002
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Verner C Bartholomew

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 17120084
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Marvin J Beasley

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 20407637
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

George M Cooley

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-703950
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Navigator

John C Deckard

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 305th Bomb Group 364th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: 15113715
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Places

Ground crews of 305th Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortresses wait for their aircraft to return to Chelveston airbase after a raid on the 30 June 1943; a B-17 Flying Fortress is coming in to land. Passed for publication 30 Jun 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'At A Fortress Station In Britain. From an American base in Britain the Flying Fortresses carry out operational activities which result in terrible blows against the German industrial war machine. This series of pictures shows scenes at a Flying Fortresse

Chelveston

Site type: Airfield

Presque Isle Army Airfield

Site type: Airfield
Known as: PIAAF / Presque Is

Missions

B-17 Flying Fortresses, (LL-F, serial number 42-97467) of the 91st Bomb Group, (OJ-G, serial number 42-97212) of the 96th Bomb Group and (LD-D, serial number 42-39994) of the 100th Bomb Group in Sweden, 1944. Written on slide casing: 'Sweden, 297467 LL:F, 18/7/44, 297212 OJ:G, 11/4/44, 239994, LD:D 3/3/44.'

8th Air Force 250

Date: 6 March 1944

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany

29 May 1944

Revisions

Date7 Dec 2020 21:23:04

Contributorjmoore43

Changes

Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:38

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 5339 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database