B-17F-BO s/n 41-24553 believed to be found determined.* "Cherry" Training and CONUS ferrying Crew, photo at Rapid City, South Dakota. Circa. Autumn 1943. Lt. George Rains Jr.'s Crew flew eight Combat/Bombing Missions in five different B-17 Aircraft assigned to other Crews. As R. and R. Mission replacements, while the primary Crews recuperated from Battle fatigue that was becoming more prevalent from longer and ever tougher missions. They learned to improvise with subtle variances between the Fortresses. The Luftwaffe fighter pilots were rapidly becoming more adept at hunting ailing Bombers as the equipment was wearing down. As the R. and R., final Crew of "Liberty Bell-e" and flying at the rear of the massive Formation, the FW-190 "Butcher Bird had relatively easy pickings on the "Liberty Bell-e." As her Crew slipped further behind of the left turning mass of Bombers toward Germany targets to the South East, due to a weak underperforming Starboard Engine. Their fate came quickly, slipping behind the formation. The few surviving Crew told of their Heroic Pilots last Ditch efforts to save them and the French Civilians on the ground shortly after they salvoed their H.E. Bomb load. * forward mast under the nose for the ADF line antenna suggested this a later block and the paintwork identifies this F series as being from Seattle .