42-37809 | American Air Museum

42-37809 Carolina Queen

Delivered Long Beach 6/9/43; Scott 22/10/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-G] Deenthorpe 26/10/43; Missing in Action Oschersleben 11/1/44 with Harry Chapman, Co-pilot: John Peck, Navigator: Harrison Hurlburt, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Chas Badura, Radio Operator: Hugh Chaffin (5 Prisoner of War), Bombardier: Don Wallis, Ball turret gunner: Norman Fix, Waist gunner: Denzil Johnson, Waist gunner: Alf Marshall, Tail gunner: Francis Reed (5 Killed in Action); enemy aircraft severe damage, right wing broke off, crashed near Halberstadt, Ger; Missing Air Crew Report 2506. CAROLINA QUEEN.

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.'

401st Bomb Group

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

The insignia of the 615th Bomb Squadron, 401st Bomb Group.

615th Bomb Squadron

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

People

Robert E Allen

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator

Charles S Badura

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Sergeant
Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Hugh W Chaffin

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Radio Operator

Harold J Chapman

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Lieutenant
Role/Job: Pilot

Norman J Fix

Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
Nationality: American
Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

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

VIII Fighter Command FO 216

Date: 11 January 1944

8th Air Force 176

Date: 5 January 1944

A B-17 Flying Fortress (DF-B, serial number 42-37779) nicknamed "Pistol Packin' Mama", of the 91st Bomb Group in flight during a mission over France, 14 January 1944.

61036 AC - (A)- Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" of the 91st Bomb Gp. 8th AF, enroute to bomb target at Croisette, France. 1/14/44. (Altitude 12,100 feet.)

VIII Bomber Command 171

Date: 31 December 1943

VIII Bomber Command 169

Date: 30 December 1943

VIII Bomber Command 164

Date: 24 December 1943

Events

Event

Location

Date

Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Germany

11 January 1944

Revisions

Date11 Sep 2021 22:59:02

Contributoracbernstein1

ChangesChanges to markings and mission associations

Sources

http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=37809

Date14 May 2021 00:56:48

Contributorjmoore43

ChangesChanges to description

Sources

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

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:45

ContributorAAM

ChangesAAM ingest

Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2506 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database