Help me identify this plane. - Aircraft of World War II

jjb3kgt · 08-20-2009, 03:27 AM

Hello all. I recently came across some pictures of B-17's taken by my grandpa while in the Army Air Corps in WWII. Since he passed on in 2003 I don't have a good resource to really decipher the pictures. My Grandpas name was Oran F Bodle and he was a belly gunner. Flew 49 missions and I am told was stationed in north Africa.

What is the significance of the nose number as shown below? What does the tail number mean? As you will see I have two pics with the number 757. I am told this is one of his planes and the other below is faint but a readable #447.

Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Jonathan

Wurger · 08-20-2009, 04:54 PM

Welcome to the site mate, greetings from Polans.

I'm not an expert at bombers here but junging by the serial number on the fin I can say that it was B-17G-60-BO of series 42-102744/42-102978.It means that the bomber was assembled by Boeing factory.757 is the machine number and consists of these three last digitals of the serial.

Airframes · 08-25-2009, 02:26 PM

I can't be certain, but judging by the presentation of the 'last three' on the nose, and repeated under the full serial number on the fin, this B17G might have been with the 15th Air Force, possibly based at Amendola, Italy. The shot from the turret looks like the coastline, and is similar to the Amendola region.
To find out more, maybe a check of 15th AF web-sites and or Veterans Association or Bomb Group sites could bring up more info. You'll find that many of these have lists of known crew members, from which you may get a start point to dig deeper.
Sorry I can't be of more help, but the subject is just outside of my main interst source re the USAAF's.

Wurger · 08-25-2009, 06:34 PM

In addition , it seems that the B-17 in the third pic is a diffferent one. Looking at the number I've gotten impression it could be 117 or 447 but not 757.

timshatz · 08-25-2009, 06:48 PM

I'd go with 447 in the third pic.

A4K · 08-25-2009, 07:17 PM

Me too, 447, clear as a bell. Btw, great info guys!

jjb3kgt · 09-16-2009, 03:18 PM

Most appreciated for all the help gents. Seems I got more info from you all than my family provided.

Cheers!

Lucky13 · 09-20-2009, 02:44 AM

2nd Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Served on antisubmarine duty after the US entered World War II.
Moved to North Africa Mar 1943, assigned to the Twelfth AF.
Moved to Fifteenth AF Dec 1943.
Served as part of the occupation
force in Italy after V-E Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 Feb 1946.
20th BS
49th BS (Former 166th)
96th BS
429th BS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
97th Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Constituted as 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942.
Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Moved to England, May-Jul 1942 with Eighth AF.
Moved to the Mediterranean theater Twelfth AF Nov 1942. .
Moved to Fifteenth AF Nov 1943. Inactivated in Italy on 29 Oct 1945.
340th BS
341st BS
342nd BS
414th BS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
99th Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Constituted as 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942.
Activated 1 Jun 1942. Moved to North Africa, Feb-May 1943,
assigned to Twelfth AF.
Entered combat in Mar 1943. Assigned to Fifteenth AF Nov 1943
and moved to Italy in Dec 1943.
Inactivated in Italy on 8 Nov 1945.
346th BS
347th BS
348th BS
416th BS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
301st Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Constituted as 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942.
Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Moved to England Jul-Aug 1942 assigned to
Eighth AF. Moved to North Africa Nov 1942 assigned to Twelfth AF.
Assigned to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943, moved to Italy in Dec 1943.
Returned to the US in July 1945. Redesignated 301st Bombardment
Group (Very Heavy) Aug. 1945. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945.
32nd BS
352nd BS
353rd BS
354th BS
419th BS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
463rd Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Constituted as 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943.
Activated 1 Aug 1943.Moved to Italy, Feb-Mar 1944.
Inactivated in Italy on 25 Sep 1945.
772nd BS
773rd BS
774th BS
775th BS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
483rd Bombardment Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Constituted as 483rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 Sep 1943.
Activated 20 Sep 1945. Trained with B-17's.
Moved to Italy, Mar-Apr 1944.
Inactivated in Italy on 25 Sep 1945.
815th BS
816th BS
817th BS
840th BS (Former 818th )

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

evangilder · 09-20-2009, 09:54 AM

The 757 was the last three of the USAAF serial number. They often put the last three in larger numbers on the nose and the tail to more easily identify which was which.

It looks like 42-102757 became a TB-17 sometime after the war before being sent to RFC at Walnut Ridge Arkansas. It's fate is probably the same as many other aircraft at Walnut Ridge, melted down for scrap, and used to make something else.

08-20-2009, 03:27 AM	#1
jjb3kgt Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	Help me identify this plane. Hello all. I recently came across some pictures of B-17's taken by my grandpa while in the Army Air Corps in WWII. Since he passed on in 2003 I don't have a good resource to really decipher the pictures. My Grandpas name was Oran F Bodle and he was a belly gunner. Flew 49 missions and I am told was stationed in north Africa. What is the significance of the nose number as shown below? What does the tail number mean? As you will see I have two pics with the number 757. I am told this is one of his planes and the other below is faint but a readable #447. Any help would greatly be appreciated. Jonathan

08-20-2009, 04:54 PM	#2
Wurger Siggy Master Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Poland Posts: 13,974	Welcome to the site mate, greetings from Polans. I'm not an expert at bombers here but junging by the serial number on the fin I can say that it was B-17G-60-BO of series 42-102744/42-102978.It means that the bomber was assembled by Boeing factory.757 is the machine number and consists of these three last digitals of the serial. __________________ Last edited by Wurger; 08-25-2009 at 06:28 PM.

08-25-2009, 02:26 PM	#3
Airframes Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 9,062	I can't be certain, but judging by the presentation of the 'last three' on the nose, and repeated under the full serial number on the fin, this B17G might have been with the 15th Air Force, possibly based at Amendola, Italy. The shot from the turret looks like the coastline, and is similar to the Amendola region. To find out more, maybe a check of 15th AF web-sites and or Veterans Association or Bomb Group sites could bring up more info. You'll find that many of these have lists of known crew members, from which you may get a start point to dig deeper. Sorry I can't be of more help, but the subject is just outside of my main interst source re the USAAF's. __________________

09-16-2009, 03:18 PM	#7
jjb3kgt Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	Most appreciated for all the help gents. Seems I got more info from you all than my family provided. Cheers! __________________ ...i've got the pistol, so i'll take the pesos...

09-20-2009, 02:44 AM	#8
Lucky13 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A Swede living in Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 15,144	2nd Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Served on antisubmarine duty after the US entered World War II. Moved to North Africa Mar 1943, assigned to the Twelfth AF. Moved to Fifteenth AF Dec 1943. Served as part of the occupation force in Italy after V-E Day. Inactivated in Italy on 28 Feb 1946. 20th BS 49th BS (Former 166th) 96th BS 429th BS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 97th Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Constituted as 97th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Moved to England, May-Jul 1942 with Eighth AF. Moved to the Mediterranean theater Twelfth AF Nov 1942. . Moved to Fifteenth AF Nov 1943. Inactivated in Italy on 29 Oct 1945. 340th BS 341st BS 342nd BS 414th BS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 99th Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Constituted as 99th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated 1 Jun 1942. Moved to North Africa, Feb-May 1943, assigned to Twelfth AF. Entered combat in Mar 1943. Assigned to Fifteenth AF Nov 1943 and moved to Italy in Dec 1943. Inactivated in Italy on 8 Nov 1945. 346th BS 347th BS 348th BS 416th BS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 301st Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Constituted as 301st Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 3 Feb 1942. Moved to England Jul-Aug 1942 assigned to Eighth AF. Moved to North Africa Nov 1942 assigned to Twelfth AF. Assigned to Fifteenth AF in Nov 1943, moved to Italy in Dec 1943. Returned to the US in July 1945. Redesignated 301st Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) Aug. 1945. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1945. 32nd BS 352nd BS 353rd BS 354th BS 419th BS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 463rd Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Constituted as 463rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 19 May 1943. Activated 1 Aug 1943.Moved to Italy, Feb-Mar 1944. Inactivated in Italy on 25 Sep 1945. 772nd BS 773rd BS 774th BS 775th BS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 483rd Bombardment Group B-17 Flying Fortress Constituted as 483rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 14 Sep 1943. Activated 20 Sep 1945. Trained with B-17's. Moved to Italy, Mar-Apr 1944. Inactivated in Italy on 25 Sep 1945. 815th BS 816th BS 817th BS 840th BS (Former 818th ) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- __________________ JAN "Felicis Tredecim" "I´m going back to the front to relax" "THE BLACK CATS FLIES TONIGHT" "Find your enemy and shoot him down - everything else is unimportant!" "When you're out of F-8's... You're out of fighters!"

08-25-2009, 06:34 PM	#4
Wurger Siggy Master Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Poland Posts: 13,974	In addition , it seems that the B-17 in the third pic is a diffferent one. Looking at the number I've gotten impression it could be 117 or 447 but not 757. __________________

08-25-2009, 06:48 PM	#5
timshatz Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Phila, Pa Posts: 3,446	I'd go with 447 in the third pic.

08-25-2009, 07:17 PM	#6
A4K Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 3,227	Me too, 447, clear as a bell. Btw, great info guys!

09-20-2009, 09:54 AM	#9
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	The 757 was the last three of the USAAF serial number. They often put the last three in larger numbers on the nose and the tail to more easily identify which was which. It looks like 42-102757 became a TB-17 sometime after the war before being sent to RFC at Walnut Ridge Arkansas. It's fate is probably the same as many other aircraft at Walnut Ridge, melted down for scrap, and used to make something else. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

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