42-40002 Breezing Home

A crashed B-17 Flying Fortress of the 401st Bomb Group. Image via R Bowers. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'Home on two engines.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '"Breezing Home" IY-D, 42-40002. 401 BG.' media-380525.jpg FRE 1717 A crashed B-17 Flying Fortress of the 401st Bomb Group. Image via R Bowers. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'Home on two engines.' Second handwritten caption on reverse: '"Breezing Home" IY-D, 42-40002. 401 BG.' Roger Freeman Collection

IWM, Roger Freeman Collection

Object Number - FRE 1717 - A crashed B-17 Flying Fortress of the 401st Bomb Group. Image via R Bowers. First handwritten caption on reverse: 'Home on two engines.' Second...

Delivered Long Beach 1/11/43; Cheyenne 16/11/43; Kearney 19/11/43; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-D] Deenethorpe 29/12/43. Involved in parking accident at Little Staughton on 1 January 1944. 42-40002 lost brake hydraulic pressure while taxiing and struck another parked B-17, 42-37928. Pilot of 42-40002 that day was Clyde A. Lewis; Co-pilot: Mitchell K. Woods; Navigator: William M. Eaton; Radio Operator: Clarence R. Miner; passenger : Donald W. Michael, (5 Returned to Duty).



Missing in Action on the 19 June 1944 mission to the Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield. Pilot : William W. Trimble; Co-Pilot : Fred L. Shantz; Navigator : Beryl F. Lemke; Bombardier : Enver C. Cury; Engineer/Top Turret Gunner : Edward Tracey; Radio Operator : Jack Mackey; Ball Turret Gunner : John E. Schaffer; Left Wiast Gunner : Joseph P. Acker; Right Waist Gunner : Paul K. Courtad; Tail Gunner : William A. Armstrong (10 evaded capture). Flak KOd #2 & #4 and severed control cables. Crashed Le Pouyau, near Artiguillon, 4km South of Lesparre-Médoc, NW of Bordeaux, France. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 6001.

See the pages for all 10 crew members at www.evasioncomete.be >>> Fiches (alphabetical listing)

Connections

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Units served with

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-749763
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15131018 / 0-690672
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-800905
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 14041992
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant

Places

Missions

Aircraft

Events

Event Location Date Description

Delivered

Long Beach, CA, USA 1 November 1943 Delivered Long Beach 1-Nov-43.

Assigned

Deenethorpe Airfield, Deenethorpe NN17 3AN, UK 29 December 1943 Assigned 615BS, 401BG, 8AF USAAF.

Crashed

Little Staughton, Bedford MK44 2BT, UK 1 January 1944 Involved in parking accident at Little Staughton on 1 January 1944. 42-40002 lost brake hydraulic pressure while taxiing and struck another parked B-17, 42-37928.

Crashed

Le Pouyau, Commune de Artiguillon, France 19 June 1944 Failed to Return (FTR) mission to the Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield. Hit by Flak, 1 motor on fire, two others out; leaking oil. All crew bailed out and evaded.

Manufactured

Las Vegas, NV, USA Built at Boeing.

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Updated website address of www.evasioncomete.be

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 6001
Corrected typos in names (Shantz, Beryl Lemke)
Added full names of men on board 42-37928

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 6001 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-40002: Gallery (4 items)