42-40003 TOPPER/ Ol Gappy
The Crew pictured above at this time was:
The photo above is of the Hennrich Crew and at this time here are the names:: ....... Standing Left to Right
Stephen L Hennrich - 1st Lt - Piltot
Anthony P Lasalle - Tech Sgt - Eng/WG
Robert L Schnare - Tech Sgt - RO/G
Earl K Parker - Staff Sgt – TG
Kenneth E Dewire - Staff Sgt – WG
Dennis Houck -S/Sgt – Asst Flt John Eng
Lloyd A Carville - Staff Sgt – BTG
Peter M Beloberk - 2nd Lt – Bom
The rest are unknown Ground Crew and Armorer. It is believed that the Ground Crew Chief Joe Sligoski is squatting third from the left. Roger Freeman Collection
Associated to airmen's records from information given in caption.
Object Number - FRE 1251 - A bomber crew of the 379th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-0003) nicknamed "Ol' Gappy". Printed caption on reverse:...
Delivered Long Beach 1/11/43; Denver 27/11/43; Presque Is 11/12/43; Her Nickname was first "Ol' Gappy" but her Nose Art had the ghostly figure of a dapper gentleman much like in the movie "Topper". So it was known by either/or. Her claim to fame is her 157 Combat Missions which is considered the most of any other Heavy Bomber in the ETO. Her Ground Crew Chief was M/Sgt Joe Sligoski.
Assigned 524BS/379BG [WA-H] Kimbolton 21/1/44; transferred 490BG Eye; with 157 missions was top aircraft in 8AF, and only one abort; returned to US 121 BU Bradley 28/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 12/9/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 10/11/45. TOPPER aka OL’ GAPPY.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 682039
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 07025171
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 379th Bomb Group 524th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19059744 / T-12194 / O-2045047
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Brome
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: PIAAF / Presque Is
Revisions
Freeman; ...Story..., block ranges and changes.
Corrected "Ole" to "Ol;" in second paragraph.
Corrected name from "Ole" to "Ol'". This is the name notation noted in all documents I have reviewed (you can also review https://sites.google.com/site/379thbgnoseart/home as one citation). I also flipped the names from "Topper / Ol Gappy" to "Ol' Gappy / Topper." This is also in line with typical naming on other websites and documentation.
On 17 September 1944, Missy Rung-Blue received an email from Mike Lilley, son of Thomas Lilley, who was also assigned to the 379th BG, 524th Squadron out of Kimbolton. His father flew many missions on Ol'Gappy/Topper. This is what he had to say (assuming this came from his father):
"If you see references to an 8th Air Force plane named "Ol' Gappy", which flew the most missions of any bomber in the 8th, that was his plane. The real name was "Topper", with the image of a top hat and gloves on the nose. It also had "Ol' Gappy painted on the nose turret, but that was a reference to the crew chief, who had a wide gap in his teeth. The "Topper" name wasn't painted by the nose art, so people began calling it by the other name."
Associations - People. Added James E. Rung, my father. He was the navigator on Ole Gappy/Topper on the ONLY aborted mission that plane had. Source: https://b17navigator.com/dads-log-book/mission-no-aborted-august-3-1944/
Name and fuselage code: https://sites.google.com/site/379thbgnoseart/home also https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-40003-topper-aka-ol-gappy/
Added information from user 'cody1947', Richard Lewis.
