42-31488 | American Air Museum

42-31488 Shade Ruff

Delivered Cheyenne 8/11/43; Gt Falls 11/11/43; Kearney 28/11/43; Romulus 4/12/43; Bangor 5/12/43; Assigned 614BS/401BG [IW-D] Deenethorpe 2/1/44; Missing in Action Berlin 8/3/44 with Dale Peterson, Co-pilot: George Morse, Navigator: Harley Honeberger, Bombardier: Bob Greed, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Bob Delivered Giorno, Radio Operator: John Kuntz, Ball turret gunner: Art Newell, Waist gunner: Joe Jay,Tail gunner: Howard Kneese (9 Prisoner of War); Waist gunner: Frank Bailey (KIS-actually died of exhaustion near Neubrandenburg 27/4/45 while marching from the Russian advance); enemy aircraft, crashed Teglingen Sluice, two miles SE of Meppen, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2911. SHADE RUFF.

Connections

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

Units served with

401st Bomb Group

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

614th Bomb Squadron

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

People

Frank O Bailey

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: waist gunner

Robert K Creed

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Service Numbers: O-753134
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Walter P Empric

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Robert L Del Giorno

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Robert K Greed

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 614th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
Role/Job: Bombardier

Places

Bomber crews from the 401st Bomb Group look over P-51 Mustang, FT-T, serial number 43-12172, of the 353rd Fighter Squadron, 354th Fighter Group, at Deenethorpe airfield. One of their B-17 Flying Fortresses is in the background. Printed caption on reverse of print: '...401st Bomb Group look over a North American P-51 Mustang at an 8th Air Force base in England, 27 December 1943.'

Deenethorpe

Site type: Airfield
Known as: Benefield

Missions

A bomber crew of the 381st Bomb Group return to base after a mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-31761) nicknamed "Rotherhithe's Revenge". Image stamped on reverse: 'Sunday Pictorial for Censor.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 10 Mar 1944.' [stamp] and '310673.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'BACK FROM BERLIN. Scenes this week at a Bomber station of the U.S. Air Force , somewhere in England. The crew of the Flying Fortress "Rotherhithe's Revenge", a British subscribed ship

8th Air Force 252

Date: 8 March 1944

8th Air Force 230 BIG WEEK - DAY 3

Date: 22 February 1944

8th Air Force 210

Date: 5 February 1944

A B-17 Flying Fortress (QJ-Q, serial number 42-31023) nicknamed "Skyball" of the 339th Bomb Squadron, 96th Bomb Group that has crash-landed at Honington. Official caption on image: "2138. 1-29-44. Hon. B-17F. 42-31028. M. F.S.A.D."

8th Air Force 198

Date: 29 January 1944

8th Air Force 182

Date: 11 January 1944

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Other Failed to Return (FTR)	Germany	8 March 1944

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany

8 March 1944

Revisions

Date10 Sep 2021 22:20:37

Contributoracbernstein1

ChangesChanges to mission associations

Sources

http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=31488

Date16 Jul 2019 17:32:33

ContributorShade Ruff

ChangesChanges to nicknames and markings

Sources

1) Service member's personal confirmation as he was an original crew member on this aircraft and 2) 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy) Association's web site: 401bg.org

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:38

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2911 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database