An elusive B-17F finally found?

[Steve Birdsall]

Loyal readers of my Squadron book Pride of Seattle will know that 41-24430 was one of the few B-17Fs which could not be accounted for. She was delivered by Boeing on June 29, 1942 and assigned to the South Pacific theater in September 1942. We knew the aircraft got as far as New Zealand, but there is no record of her flying with any combat unit. She simply disappeared. Until now.



The photo shows 41-24430 after an accident at the 13th Air Depot on New Caledonia, on or about March 15 1943. It appears that the B-17 has run off the runway into a line of parked Navy Avengers, but there are no specific details of what happened and how much damage was done.

Can anyone come at this incident from the Navy angle and add some details? And a better photo?

Last edited by Steve Birdsall on Wed Feb 25, 2009 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[B-17 Buff]

Very interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing new info on WIX, nice to have direct contact between writers and readers!! Pride of Seattle is a very informative read and a very worthy addition to a B-17 enthusiasts bookshelf! I remember it was like opening a new christmas present as a boy when i got my copy.

I wish i could help and shed some light, but my authority on the subject is no match to yours sir...

Thanks again for sharing.

[Steve Birdsall]

Thanks - that's a really nice compliment and very much appreciated.

[Dave Homewood]

Very interesting to see that Steve. You may be interested in a thread that is on my New Zealand forum regarding B-17 Flying Fortress bombers that visited our country, as that aircraft is discussed.

http://rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi? ... 580&page=1

I'd be interested if you can add any other details of it's NZ visit, or if you know of other B-17's that visited during the war.

Well done on that great find!

[Dave Smith]

Steve, I totally agree with B-17 Buff. I felt the same way when I opened your Log of the Liberators so many years ago! A landmark book on an
aircraft that was much neglected until then. Have got a few others as well - Saga of the Superfortresses and Flying Buccaneers, for a start. Going off thread, but couldn't resist an opportunity to show my appreciation of your work.

[Steve Birdsall]

Thanks Daves!

Thanks also for that link to "The B-17 Flying Fortress in New Zealand" thread, really excellent and informative research.

I can confirm that the B-17 at Woodbourne on April 1, 1942 was definitely 41-2458, later named Yankee Didd'ler with the 43rd Bomb Group.



There's a good early photo of 41-2458 here: http://www.pbase.com/duener/image/61237346

Yankee Didd'ler had a long and varied career - in November of 1943 she was one of a dozen B-17s handed over to the 54th Troop Carrier Wing for modification as an armed transport for the 317th Troop Carrier Group.

Sad note: According to a contemporary press report, in addition to new engines there was "a new dull paint job covering her risque nude art work and the long row of bombs recording more than 60 missions she has made".

I believe that she was on the very first mission flown by the armed transports, on December 19, 1943. There were "four quartermaster soldiers to handle the dropping" in addition to the crew. The pilot was Captain Lee Bird. Co-incidentally, S/Sgt Paul Blasewitz was the tail gunner, and T/Sgt George Prezioso was the radio operator. They had been on the crew that ditched Black Jack off New Guinea on July 11, 1943. Funny how everything seems to lead back to Black Jack.

[Dave Homewood]

Fantastic shot of the nose art. I wonder if the name "Wouldn't it root ya" was perhaps influenced by the crew's visit to NZ, and was meant as a double-entendre, because in the country (and in Australia) the word root has an all together different slang meaning. It's like shag! It would be funny if there was a kiwi connection, a word they heard and liked in NZ. It's well known the Americans did a lot of rooting while they were here.

[Dave Homewood]

Steve or others may be interested in this photo I got from a private collection of an RNZAF mechanic. I believe the photo was taken by an official RNZAF photographer attached to No. 10 Servicing Unit at Guadalcanal in 1943, and given to the mechanic. So its copyright may belong to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

The serial number is 12487. Do you guys know anything about this B-17? I know nothing about it.

I'm adding it to the NZ Forum thread linked above (on page 6) too, to see what comments it generates there.

[Steve Birdsall]

Very nice find Dave, many thanks!

I don't know much about this aircraft - assigned to 42nd Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group as a replacement on October 25, 1942 and transferred to 72nd Bomb Squadron of 5th Bomb Group on November 28, 1942.

I can't find anything on her operational record, but 5th Bomb Group pilot Leon Rockwell noted in his diary for May 1, 1943: "slow time 41-2487 out of Fiji”, so she was still with the 5th then.

Apparently returned to Hawaii in 1944, but obviously there are some gaps to fill here.