Friday, November 7, 2014

Boeing B-17G, 42-97546

 
B-17G-20, s/n 42-97546, "Idaliza", 360th Bombardment Squadron, 303rd Bombardment Group, England, 15 Sept 1944. Originally in the 92nd Bombardment Group then transferred to the 457th Bombardment Group and finally ending up in the 303rd.
 
 
Pilot, 1st Lt. Neil Coates and aircrew examine damage from the mission they just finished over Wizernes, France, 22 June 1944
 
Mission Crew
1st Lt. Neil Coates - pilot
2nd Lt. Harold L. Carlman Jr. - co-pilot
2nd Lt. Robert L. Dunn - navigator
F/O Clarence J. Kleppner - bombardier
S/Sgt. Joseph F. Goggin - engineer
S/Sgt. Almo W. Dennerle - radio operator
S/Sgt. Paul W. Pesetsky - ball turret gunner
S/Sgt. Roy D. Harvey - tail gunner
Sgt. Arthur Teran - waist gunner
 
 
"Idaliza" crew of Lt. Statton, England, 3 January 1945
 
Left to right
Standing
Sgt. William H. Rhodes - engineer
2nd Lt. Thomas R. Donahue - navigator
2nd Lt. David A. Schroll - co-pilot
1st Lt. Roy F. Statton - pilot
Kneeling
T/Sgt. Charles Delmer Knowles Jr. - radio operator
Sgt. Robert W. Koci - ball turret gunner
Sgt. Gordon H. Maxson - waist/tail gunner
Sgt. Marion M Mooney - tail gunner
Sgt. Heiber J. Woods - nose gunner
 
 
"Idaliza" crew of Lt. Armfield, England, 3 January 1945
 
Left to right
Standing
1st Lt. Theodor W. Mishtal - bombardier
1st Lt. James Lenzey Stewart - navigator
2nd Lt. Dudley V. Marten - co-pilot
1st Lt. John M. Armfield - pilot
Kneeling
S/Sgt. Donald L. Haynes - radio operator
S/Sgt. Edward F. Goggin - waist/ball turret
S/Sgt. Richard D. Elliott - ball turret gunner
T/Sgt. James M Lemon Jr. - engineer
Sgt. James W. Davis - tail gunner
 

"Idaliza" crew of Lt. Edmunds, England, 3 January 1945
 
Left to right
Standing
2nd Lt. Robert E. "Bob" Edmunds - pilot
2nd Lt. Franklin Wade Perry - bombardier
2nd Lt. Clarence E. Bristol Jr. - co-pilot
2nd Lt. Gordon Bates Lofquist - navigator
Kneeling
Sgt. Norman D. Hammel - engineer
Sgt. Gordon W. Farnham - ball turret gunner
Sgt. Matthew N. Polo - radio operator
Sgt. Frank Charles Rumberger - tail gunner
Sgt. Raymond H. King - waist gunner
 
 
Ground crew of "Idaliza", England, 14 April 1945. At the time of this photo she had flown 105 missions

North American B-25, 43-27636


 
B-25J-1-NC, s/n 43-27636, "Ave Maria", 447th Bombardment Squadron, 321st Bombardment Group, Italy.
This aircraft was a veteran of 103 missions when this photo was taken.

Boeing B-17F, 42-30237


B-17F-95, s/n 42-30237, "Stump Jumper", 524th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, England, 16 July 1943
 
Crew left to right
Standing
T/Sgt. Donald B Armstrong - right waist gunner
Joseph Theiss - pilot
Lt. James G. Edwards - navigator
Lt. Thomas D. Pfeifer - bombadier
2nd Lt. Julius "Red" W. Krafft - co-pilot
Kneeling
S/Sgt. Frank P. Frydryk - ball turret gunner
Sgt. George R. Hill - tail gunner
T/Sgt. Morrison T. Nolan - engineer
T/Sgt. Delbert William "Del" Klump - left waist gunner
Sgt. Hugh McKeegan - radio operator
 
This is early in the aircrafts life, which has only 6 missions under its belt
 
 
"Stump Jumper", still with 524th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, England, 18 November 1943. I am unsure about the crew in this photo.
 
 
 
One of the crew members of "Stump Jumper" is loaded into a Dodge 3/4 ton WC-54 ambulance after being wounded on a mission, June 1944
 
This aircraft was eventually lost over Oldenberg, Germany on 1 January 1945


Thursday, November 6, 2014

Boeing B-17F, 42-5821


B-17F-25, s/n 42-5821, "Cindy", 527th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, England, 5 August 1943
 
Crew (no specific order)
F/O David W. Rees - pilot (POW)
2nd Lt. Clair M. Dietrich - co-pilot (POW)
2nd Lt. William L. Busch - navigator (POW)
2nd Lt. Ernest A. Galloway - bombardier (POW)
T/Sgt. John T. Brennan - (KIA)
S/Sgt. Dominick P Fiorani - ball turret gunner (KIA)
S/Sgt. Stanley M Govern - tail gunner (KIA)
S/Sgt. Chester H. Lundquist - right waist gunner (KIA)
T/Sgt. Joseph L. Murphy - radio operator  (KIA)
Sgt. James A Williams - left waist gunner (KIA)
 
The aircraft was lost on 12 August 1943 near Gelsenkirchen, Germany

 

Boeing B-17F, 42-30191


Boeing B-17F-90, s/n 42-30191, "the Bolevich", 525th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, England, 1943
 
 
Identified crew
Lt. Donald W. Merchant - pilot (POW) (left, rear)
other crew
Lt. James E Sullivan - co-pilot (POW)
Lt. Ernest K Keith - navigator (POW)
Lt. Leonard J. Roman - bombardier (POW)
T/Sgt. Gene R Hecht - radio operator (KIA)
T/Sgt. Johannes H. Johnson - engineer (POW)
S/Sgt. Robert T. Tonge - ball turret gunner (POW)
T/Sgt. Harold B. Ridgely - right waist gunner (POW)
S/Sgt. Edgar Van Valkenberg - left waist gunner (POW)
S/Sgt. John L. Wierzbanowski - tail gunner (POW)
 
This aircraft was lost on 17 August 1943 when it crash landed near Elfershausen, Germany. All crew bailed out except Lt. Merchant who crash landed the aircraft. T/Sgt. Gene R Hecht was shot by Germans during an escape attempt from an Austrian prison camp.

Boeing B-17E, 41-9100


B-17E, s/n 41-9100, "Birmingham Blitzkrieg", 525th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, England, 7 September 1943.
This aircraft flew its first mission on 17 August 1942 with the 97th Bombardment Group, later transferred to the 92nd Bombardment Group, finally transferred to the 379th Bombardment group where it acted as a formation aircraft
 
Identified in this photo is Col. Preston, CO of the 379th Bombardment Group on the left
 
 
B-17E, s/n 41-9100 in its new role as formation aircraft with the 379th Bombardment Group, England, 24 July 1944
 
 
Another view of B-17E 41-9100 on 24 July 1944. In the role of formation aircraft it was painted in red and white stripes


Douglas C-47 s/n ???


Douglass C-47, s/n ???, Gibraltar, October 2nd 1943
 
 

Nose art