Hello,
I'm wondering if anyone has a source for info on particular B-17s.
This B-17 flew in the 15th AF, 2nd Bomb Grp., 20th Sqdn, the first half of 1944 and was lost in August/September, 44-(I think) when the 20th was wiped out on a mission. There is a painting of it done by a Pilot in that Group named C. Beecham, he did the painting from a photograph taken at bombsway. I have a copy of it that my Dad had and on the bottom, Mr. Beecham states the date and location of the mission. According to my dad's personal log book, and old correspondence with his surviving crew members, he was the pilot of this plane at the time the picture was taken. Just after the picture was taken they recieved flak damage to #1-on fire and #2 had a bad oil leak, a piece of flak the diameter of your thumb came in a side window, through the collar of my dad's jacket and shirt, bounced off the panel and fell to the floor..I have it. He feathered #2, hit the CO2 on #1 but it continued to burn for quite awhile. He left the formation and they started dumping everything out of the plane. The ball turret gunner stayed at his position to monitor the fire (dangerous thing to do) and when it went out, he got out. They tried to jetison the turret, flak damage prevented it. A waist gunner took a fire axe and cut it loose, the reduced weight enabled them to clear the mountains and they managed a good landing-had to manually crank down the flaps. This was Dad's 49th mission, he got the DFC for it and left for home a few days later after his 50th. It was a couple weeks later that his entire squadron was wiped out.
Dad and Beecham knew each other and I have correspondence between them. I'm basically looking for info on this plane like when it was made, exactly when it was lost and what crew was flying it. I have not found the S/N yet but I have a ton of papers to go through that dad kept..I also have some interesting pictures I'll scan
Thanks
FAC
I'm wondering if anyone has a source for info on particular B-17s.
This B-17 flew in the 15th AF, 2nd Bomb Grp., 20th Sqdn, the first half of 1944 and was lost in August/September, 44-(I think) when the 20th was wiped out on a mission. There is a painting of it done by a Pilot in that Group named C. Beecham, he did the painting from a photograph taken at bombsway. I have a copy of it that my Dad had and on the bottom, Mr. Beecham states the date and location of the mission. According to my dad's personal log book, and old correspondence with his surviving crew members, he was the pilot of this plane at the time the picture was taken. Just after the picture was taken they recieved flak damage to #1-on fire and #2 had a bad oil leak, a piece of flak the diameter of your thumb came in a side window, through the collar of my dad's jacket and shirt, bounced off the panel and fell to the floor..I have it. He feathered #2, hit the CO2 on #1 but it continued to burn for quite awhile. He left the formation and they started dumping everything out of the plane. The ball turret gunner stayed at his position to monitor the fire (dangerous thing to do) and when it went out, he got out. They tried to jetison the turret, flak damage prevented it. A waist gunner took a fire axe and cut it loose, the reduced weight enabled them to clear the mountains and they managed a good landing-had to manually crank down the flaps. This was Dad's 49th mission, he got the DFC for it and left for home a few days later after his 50th. It was a couple weeks later that his entire squadron was wiped out.
Dad and Beecham knew each other and I have correspondence between them. I'm basically looking for info on this plane like when it was made, exactly when it was lost and what crew was flying it. I have not found the S/N yet but I have a ton of papers to go through that dad kept..I also have some interesting pictures I'll scan
Thanks
FAC
