301st BG B-17F On The Bomb Run

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:41 pm

B-17F s/n 42-30310 419th BS 301st BG Lost Feb 25, 1944 Regensburg, Germany 1 KIA & 9 POWs

ww2John · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:15 pm

If it wasn't for that fading puff of Flak "smoke" seen behind/under the B17, you might think it was an "easy day...but we know better...
:wink:

L. Thompson · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:21 pm

Jack,

I've been waiting for a 301st BG B-17 photo to pop out of your great collection! This was a new one to me, and I'm the historian for the Group's Association. This is 15th AF by the way.

42-30307, "Bonnie Sue", a 419th sister ship, was the one downed by the "phantom P-38" spoken of in a recent thread on August 11, 1943. It had the name "Vicki" on the right nose. My dad was tail gunner on 42-30093, a B-17F-85-BO, that day and they also suffered damage from the Italian P-38G, and made a belly landing in the desert about 10 miles short of the base at Oudna, all aboard escaped uninjured. Silvestri Silvestri (sic) was pilot.

My dad's crew arrived in the 419th BS in June 1943 with 42-30319, named "Shirley our Girlie" (no photo found yet).

Any more 301st B-17 photos???

Thanks,

Lowell Thompson

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 4:13 pm

Possibly some more shots but not sure.
I forgot that they were transfered from the 8th.
Especially with the geometric symbols on the tail pointing
to the 12th and 15th AFs
I was thinking of doing a B-17-b-24 photo auction since I've got
alot of really great shots. Whatcha think :?:

Dan Johnson II · **Joined:** Tue May 04, 2004 1:49 am **Posts:** 659

Mr. Thompson

I'm assuming you've seen this one, taken by Dwight Olson, a 301st Co-pilot on February 14, 1945. Lt. Butts was the pilot. Waist gunner was killed, but they managed to get the damaged 17 back to base. I got a copy of the photo years ago from Mr. Olson while researching the crew that Gael Elmer was tail gunner on that went down on February 13, 1945. Elmer rode it down and survived.

Dan

L. Thompson · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 8:41 pm

Dan,

Yes, I have seen that one but can't say that I knew any details. Any 419th BS photos are pretty rare, but color photos of any of the 301st BG B-17s are especially scarce.

Thank you for posting it!

Lowell

Oscar Duck · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:36 pm

Nice pics indeed.

Any 483rd BG or 815th BS B-17's?

bipe215 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 9:38 pm

Oscar Duck wrote:

Nice pics indeed.

Any 483rd BG or 815th BS B-17's?

I asked him that same thing a little while ago. He's looking...

Oscar Duck · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:52 am

my late father-in-law flew in that unit..

two aircraft - B-17F 'Chief Wahoo' and G model "Flak Happy"

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301st BG B-17F On The Bomb Run

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