42-5906 Sondra Kay

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Object Number - FRE 1503 - A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse:...

Delivered Long Beach 30/4/43; Sioux City 7/5/43; Dow Fd 15/6/43; Assigned 562BS/388BG [--E] Knettishall 16/6/43; suffered battle damaged at La Pallice, Fr. 16/9/43 with Henry Cox, Co-pilot: Albt Rubin, Navigator: Bob Leaventhal, Bombardier: Frank Broach, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Herman Ball, Radio Operator: Don Gromis, Ball turret gunner: George Martin, Waist gunner: Otto Kloza, Waist gunner: Francis Curry, Tail gunner: Joshua Lewis (10 Killed in Action); crash landed Upper Cilgee Farm, Llanure, two miles from Llandrindod Wells, Wales, after being diverted to RAF Shobdon, Worcs., in poor weather; Salvaged. Missing Air Crew Report 3119. SONDRA KAY.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.

388th Bomb Group

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

People

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Herman J Ball

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36243138
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Frank Norman Broach

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-667239
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier

Chester Charles Cox

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group Headquarters (388th Bomb Group)
  • Service Numbers: O-396383
  • Highest Rank: Brigadier General
  • Role/Job: Group Commanding Officer
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Henry Oren Cox

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-794117
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Francis H Curry

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 18019453
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade)
  • Role/Job: waist gunner

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Delivered

Long Beach, CA, USA 30 April 1943

Assigned

Knettishall, Diss IP22 2TH, UK 16 June 1943 388 BG 562 BS

Other

First 388th BG Combat Mission

Amsterdam, Netherlands 17 July 1943

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Llanyre, Llandrindod Wells LD1 6NG, UK 16 September 1943 Crashed in bad weather, low on fuel at Upper Cilgee Farm, Powys, Wales. Henry Cox Crew on board. 10 KIA

Revisions

Date2 Mar 2020 04:37:03
Contributorjmoore43
ChangesChanges to description
Sources

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

Date22 Dec 2017 18:51:55
Contributor466thHistorian
ChangesChanges to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings and events
Sources

http://www.388bg.info/servlet/Controller?pageType=detail&id=42-5906&dat…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74022329/albert-rubin
http://www.388bg.info/sources/newsletters/2003Winter.pdf

Date27 Sep 2014 18:40:57
ContributorAAM
ChangesAAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 3119 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-5906: Gallery (3 items)

A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-5906) nicknamed "Sandra Kay". Printed caption on reverse: '61482 AC- Crew of the 562nd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Sandra Kay". England, 11 August 1943. Front row, left to right: T/Sgt Herman J Ball, Milwaukee, Wisc; S/Sgt George R Martin, New Albany, Ind; S/Sgt Joshua M Lewis, Cumberland, Md; S/Sgt Otto V Kloza, Milwaukee, Wisc; T/Sgt Paul D Gomis, Reading, Penn; S/Sgt Fran

Object number: FRE 1503 - A bomber crew of the 388th Bomb Group with their B...

Object number: UPL 31041 - B-17 #42-5906 "Sondra Kay" of the 388th BG - 562nd...

Object number: UPL 40900 - Herman J Ball, served as a Technical Sergeant &...