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



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