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USAAF Noseart, Wellingborough (2026)

29/05/2023

For Memorial Day 2023.

"Cap'N Crow"
B-17G-25-DL #42-38053
8th Air Force, 349th Bomb Group, 100th Bomb Squadron

May 7th 1944
Cap'N Crow of the 349th Bomb Group that was one of 23 B-17's which took off from Thorpe Abbotts to particiapte in the 8th AAF mission to Berlin. While the group was forming up over the base pilot Lt. Ralph W.Wright lost control of the aircraft and crashed around within an hour after take off. While approaching the English coastline it was noted by other witnesses that several dozen flares in the Cap'N Crow for the AN-M8 Pyrotechnic Pistol stored in the top turret suddenly began to unexpectedly detonate and subsequently set fire to the entire front of the fuselage and flight control areas.

Pilot Lt. Ralph W. Wright, radioed the crew to abandon ship and started to be overcome by fumes from the burning flares overhead. The co-pilot, Jack W. R***r also decided to stay in the cockpit but qu**ky passed out to smoke inhilation.

After an unsuccessful attempt to extinguish the flames, T/Sgt Adlen P. Madsen decided it was time to pass a spare parachute up to Lt Wright who was trying to maintain control of the aircraft to keep it level. The five remaining crewmen quickly retreated to the rear of the aircraft managed to bail out of the tail hatch in time and survive the ordeal. Madsen noted he used the tail hatch because the front waist hatch had been blocked by the body of another crewman, posibly Navigator 2nd Lt Richard Curran and or bombider 2nd Lt Carl A.Herrmann whose parachute had opened outside before he cleared the opening of the hatch. The crewmen who survied were painfully burned, T/Sgt Alden P.Madsen T/Sgt F.J. Montondo, Radio Operator; S/Sgt J. A. Pontzious, ball turret gunner; S/Sgt A. T. Bridges, left waist gunner; and S/Sgt J. S. Willburn the tail gunner later returned to duty.

Pilot: 2nd Lt Ralph W. Wright KIA
Co Pilot: 2nd Lt Jack W. R***r KIA
Navigator: 2nd Lt Richard Curran KIA
Bombider: 2nd Lt Carl A. Herrmann KIA
Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Sgt Alden P.Madsen RTD
Radio Operator: Pvt Robert J.Montondo RTD
Ball Turret Gunner: Sgt John R. Palmquist RTD
Waist Gunner: S/Sgt Alfred T.Bridges RTD
Waist Gunner: Pvt George W. McCleary RTD
Tail Gunner: Sgt Jack S. Wilburn RTD

Piolots Wright & R***r are buried in a Common grave at Cambridge Plot G, Row 4, #159. Randolph Moore is also buried there
in Plot F, Row 1, #38.

30/05/2022

For Memorial Day 2022.

B-17G-35-BO, "Lovell's Hovel", 42-31926, aircraft had participated in 13 previous missions with various crews. Named by pilot James Lovell weeks a few months earlier.

1LT James MacNaughton Lovell
384th Bombardment Group (Heavy) 545th Bomb Squadron
March 8th 1920 Calumet, Michigan
March 19th 1944 Wavrans-sur-Ternoise, du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France

On March 19th 1944, mission #77 the target was the V-2 Storage and Launch Site Wizernes France.
The 384th flew as the low group within the 41st combat wing. with visibility of 10 miles. Lovell's 15th and final mission. After bombs away his plane was direct impact by flak bursts. Eyewitness accounts from pilots 2nd Lt. Lloyd Horton and 2nd Lt. Heffley,
2nd Lt. Farris Ormond observed Lovell's Hovel spiraling down with flames erupting from all parts of damaged aircraft
until it ultimately blew up in the air before striking the ground. Ultimately four parachutes emerged from the fuselage with one parachute on fire the remains of the aircraft crashed near Wavrans-sur-Ternoise, a very small village, near a larger town called St Pol-sur-Ternoise, France.

Co/P 2nd Lt. Walter Francis Brookings KIA
Nav 2nd Lt. Joseph Franis Lewis POW
BO 2nd Lt. Martin Paul Bachicha POW
RO S/Sgt. Minot Fred Deftos KIA
Eng/TopT T/Sgt. Calvin Oscar Fowlkes KIA
BT S/Sgt.James Hansel Johnson KIA
TG S/Sgt. Louis Julius Kardos POW
WG S/Sgt. Jesse Zera Oldham POW
WG S/Sgt. Doyal Hreman Blankenship KIA

Older brother Endicott dies 50 days later in action.

1LT Endicott Re*****on Lovell Junior
453rd Bombardment Group 755th Bombardment Squadron
March 12th 1919 Calumet, Michigan
May 8th 1944 Tündern, Landkreis Hameln-Pyrmont, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), Germany
B-24H-20-CF Liberator, Gypsy Queen #50327
On May 8, 1944 Gypsy Queen participated on a mission to Brunswick - Waggum A/F Germany targeting major aircraft assembly and component facilities. Along with the 392nd BG /577th BS, both group were guided by the 66th Pathfinder (PFF) Squadron into strongly protected region with many flak guns and on-call fighter protection. The formation was attacked by about 75 fighters. The 66th Pathfinder Squadron took the brunt of the frontal attack from Bf 109's and Bf 110's. The Luftwaffe tactic was to attack with single two and three aircraft frontal passes aiming for the control center / cockpit, usually under the pilots side windows.
The Gypsy Queen received substantial damage and came apart at the near the passage of the flight deck then flew onward shortly subsequently exploded in midair, Several crewmen were able to escape the stricken aircraft, captured and managed to survive as prisoners of war. The cockpit of the Gypsy Queen and parts fell into the Weser River. Other parts were strewn over 1500 meter area around Tündern.

Co/P 2nd Lt. Marcus Donoho POW
NAV 2nd Lt. David Hokanson KIA
BTG Sgt. Melvin Amtzis KIA
RO S/Sgt Harold Culnon POW
TG Sgt. Adamo Lampassi KIA
LWG T/Sgt. Milford Peters KIA
TT Sgt. George Peterson KIA
WG Sgt. Howard Quigley KIA

Both Endicott Re*****on Lovell (age 26) and James Lovell (age 25) are buried Lake View Cemetery in Calumet Michigan.

Youngest brother Bob Lovell (1924-2020) also served in the USAAF as a corporal and surviving the war. Bob is also buried at Lake View Cemetery with this two brothers.

31/05/2021

For Memorial Day 2021.

"Lead Foot" / Carol Jean IV
B-17F-35-BO #42-5137
15th Air Force, 301st Bomb Group (Heavy), 32nd Bomb Squadron
One of the more decorated aircraft of the entire 15th Air Force, 301st BG (H) as well as the 32nd BS and participating in 87 total missions.

October 30th 1943, mission #171, departed base at Oudna Number 2, an airdrome 16 miles from Tunis for a second attempt on the Turin ball bearing plant in Northern Italy. The mission a day before ( #170) was scrubbed a day earlier due to bad weather (The secondary target Genoa rail yards were bombed instead).
Flying 21 of number 3 squadron during the climb to 21,000 ft the crew started noticing their aircraft was beginning to have #4 engine trouble throwing amounts of oil and oil pressure loss
and trail of smoke. Upon nearing the mainland of Italy pilot Charles Clowe then attempts to feather #4 prop 20 miles inland of the coast.
The attempt to feather the prop was difficult in achieving the necessary 500-600 psi oil pressure for turning the high pitch stop of 88 degrees to prevent the propeller blades from catching air. This may have been due to a series of issues such as low auxiliary oil pressure, stuck pilot valve, or transfer valve in the governor of the propeller dome assembly. Eventually the vibrating propeller continued to increase windmill in the #4 engine created a situation was developing into critical fire hazard.
Captain Charles Clowe decided to leave the protection of the 301st BG formation and maintain safe distance and ultimately decides to head back (possibly) to the secondary emergency airbase located at Decimomannu Airfield Sardinia.
At 1235 hours engine #4 finally catches on fire and threatened to explode the fuel tanks, Captain Clowe instructs the crew to bail out over the Ligurian sea (coordinates 43° 30'N 08° 20'E) 31 nautical miles (57 km) southeast off the coast of Sanremo Italy.
Aircrews from their formation saw all 9 parachutes open and could see crewmen in the water being dragged across and under high waves and it was assumed that all drowned before rescue could arrive.
As feared sea rescue was sent to the location and unable to locate any trace of survivors due to stormy seas and waves.
Families of the crew were notified of the crash and were additionally informed that the crew may have taken prisoner by a German Uboot reported in the area that day.

Pilot: Captain Charles Clowe, KIA
Co-pilot: 2nd Lt. James A Wright, KIA
Navigator: 2nd Lt. James Franklin Boston, Georgia, KIA
Bombardier: Jack Robinson, KIA
Flight engineer/top turret gunner: SSgt. Walter Haberberger, Missouri, KIA
Radio Operator: TSG Ernest Padgett, Alabama, KIA
Ball turret gunner: SSG Earl Service, Ohio, KIA
Waist gunner: TSG Arthur Headding, Colorado, KIA
Tail gunner: Sergeant Gene Dill, Missouri, KIA
Missing Air Crew Report 1060.

The missing crewmen were officially declared killed in action March 10th 1949.

Nose art painted by Sergeant Eugene Townsend.

27/05/2021

"Stud Duck"
B-17F-25-DL Fortress 42-3109
Assigned 92nd Bomb Group Podington October 17th 1943;
Transferred 94th Bomb Group, 332nd Bomb Squadron Rougham late 1943.

Landing accident at Bovingdon due to structural failure August 8th 1943.
Landing accident at Rougham September 28th 1943.
Recalled from mission and on landing at base right landing gear malfunctioned February 9th 1944.

Possibly removed from service due to airframe integrity and or used for parts. Salvaged June 22nd 1945 possibly in England or Kingman Arizona.

05/10/2020

"Mr. Lucky"
B-1 7G-25-DL. 42-38035. 385th Bomb Group. 550th Bomb Squadron.

Delivered: Cheyenne 21/11/43; Kearney 7/12/43; Presque Is 12/12/43; assigned 550BS/385BG [SG-B] Gt Ashfield 16/12/43.

Battle damaged during the Ulm mission to bomb the marshalling yards on March 1st 1945. Mr. Lucky collided over Belgium with another B-17 (42-38273) flown by Lt. Rusecky Alexander. The right wing of 42-38273 was torn off in the collision. The tail section was cut off near the radio room of "Mr. Lucky" tail gunner Joe Jones floated down in the tail and survived after a 4,000 meter flat free fall landing onto the farmhouse owned by Henri Rykeboer. This mission was Sgt Jones 22th, six weeks later he was back in the United Kingdom with help from the Belgium underground.

Witnesses later testified that "Mr. Lucky" was flying below, and pulled up in the formation striking 42-38273 from underneath.

B-17 (42-38273) crashed near Slijpe- St Pieter Kapelle.
"Mr. Lucky" crashed near Olmstead Belgium, the remaining crew were all killed:

Pilot: 1st Lt Armbuster Charles Jr (KIA)
Sgt. Jones F. Joe TG (WND)
Sgt. Slavin Charles gunner (KIA) Ardennes War Cemetry Belgium
S/Sgt. Saarnio Allan M flight engineer (KIA) Ardennes War Cemetery Belgium
Herold W gunner (KIA)
Mason R gunner (KIA)
Tripp H navigator (KIA)
Stringi J radio (KIA)

42-38273 Crew
1st Lt Alexander Rusecky (KIA) Ardennes War Cemetery Belgium
Co-Pilot: George Conrad Berger Jr. on his 31st mission-(KIA) Ardenes War Cemetery Belgium
Navigator. 2Lt. Robert E. Keenan, Golden Gate National Cemetery.
CTG.: SSgt. Harry Edwin Clabaugh, Humboldt Township Cemetery.
Flight Engineer: TSgt. Charles Leroy Abney, Jr., Clear Creek Cemetery Missouri
Radio Operator: Vincent L. Verderame,
RTG: SSgt James William "Rebel" Hendon, Jr (KIA) Ardennes War Cemetery Belgium
Tail Gunner: SSgt. Thomas K. Welch, (KIA) Ardennes War Cemetery Belgium
Waist Gunner: Sgt. Stanley J Lejkowski . (WND) Arlington National Cemetary

25/05/2020

Remember The Fallen

Robert E. Kaap, Ensign, USNR USS ESSEX. F6F Hellcat Pilot VF-9 "Cat O Nine"

Upon the final day of attacking on Rabaul Harbor on November 11th 1943 Robert participated on the fighter cover of USN dive bombers attacking the ships and harbor facilities.

While he was in formation with wingman Lt. Casey Childers to the rendezvous point, Childers looked back for a visual on Kapp's aircraft only to see it in flames after taking several hits from an enemy fighter. Eyewitness accounts indicated that Robert successfully ditched his aircraft in the water but during the confusion of the battle no one was able to indicate his last known position. Search patrols were unable to find Robert.

Robert was listed as MIA until declared KIA on January 11, 1946

- For Barbara Jean

22/03/2020

The B-17F-45DL-42-3285. 388th (H) Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron Knettishall

Mary Ellen participated on first USAAF mission over Frankfurt on January 29th 1944 along with several other 3rd Bomb Division bombi squadrons.: This combined force of 309 B-17s were dispatched in three elements to make the bomb run to Frankfurt The mission was to destroy the rubber manufacturing facilities, auto, chemical factories, and railroad yards. Aircraft of the 562nd BS. took off from station 136 Knettishall, Suffolk, UK around 0730.

After the attack, flying northwest in formation towards the coast this aircraft was hit by flak about 1158 near the vicinity of Busigny Belguim from Luftwaffe emplacements established near the Busigny railway junction. The stricken B-17 crashed on stables at Hermitage Farm, Busigny, 14 miles SE of Cambrai, France. The 3rd Bomber Division reported 11 aircraft failed to return (FTR) on this day. Six crewmen of the Mary Ellen managed to parachute from the stricken aircraft. (four were captured and two escaped, including). Four were killed in the crash. The memorial was erected on the initiative of Col Clyde Richardson and the town to honor the dead crewmen.

Ball turret gunner: John McCullough KIA Bombardier:,Sidney Mink KIA
Marcus Moore KIA Tail gunner/Waist gunner:
Marcellus Wecks KIA

Co-pilot: Ed Neff, POW
Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lew Pursley, POW Radio Operator: John Lynch, POW
Waist gunner: Jim Mack POW

Navigator: Clyde Richardson RTD arriving in UK 3/22//44

Pilot: John Francis "Jack" Hennessy RTD arriving in UK 3/22//44. Jack survived the war and went on to become an aerial firefighter in Los Angeles. On September 17th 1966, Hennessey took off from the Lockheed Air Terminal in North Hollywood, to fight a LA County fire in the area. A turbojet on his retrofitted tanker AJ-1 Savage, flamed out, causing the plane to stall on takeoff.. It crashed as Jack attempted a forced landing of the heavy aircraft. He did not survive the impact, he was 47 years old.

05/06/2018

Welcome to all our new members! Big Thanks goes out to my friend Miriam Bender Larson for her help in promoting this site. Due to new SmugMug management over at Flickr I am not sure my USAAF art will be preserved as it is not considered a "photographers" album.

05/06/2018

DUMBO
B-17 F-1 BO. 124350
301st Bomb Group 32nd Bomb Squadron.

Original aircraft ferried from the US to Chelveston, assigned August 23rd 1942.
One of the B-17s that flew to Tafaraoui North Africa from the UK November 24th 1942. Crashed on takeoff January 7th, 1943, Bone, Tunisia. Exploded in the air on return from depot 12:30 9th of January 1943.

Crew flew eight missions against targets in France, Holland, Tunisia and North Africa.

Capt. Wesley Sloulin Pilot. (KIA)
Capt Robert Olson Co-Pilot. (KIA)
1lt. Vincent Frattali Bombardier. (KIA)
2lt. William Crandall Navigator (KIA)
S/Sgt Frederick Hull Upper Turret (KIA)
Sgt Eldon Kimmel Waist Gunner (KIA)
Sgt. William Most Radio Operator (KIA)
Sgt. Leslie Clark Waist gunner (KIA)
Sgt. Frank Karl Tail Gunner (KIA)

Also the three passengers who were Crew Chiefs
M/Sgt. William White (KIA)
M/Sgt. Linus Leonhard (KIA)
M/Sgt. Ted A. Greenway (KIA)

11/11/2017

For this Veterans Day I post this picture to say thanks to the crews who flew in the air war. I found this photo of an unknown aerial gunner was found in a antiques store in North Carolina I visited this summer. I felt it was my responsibility to purchase it and take care of it. I contacted the booth owner and she had bought it for the frame in a flea market in Pickens South Carolina a few years ago. As to the photo he is wearing a felt 8th AAF (low 8) that was made by British companies. He is wearing the Distinguished Unit Citation. Several units in the 1st Bombardment Division (H), as well as individual formations earned additional citation such as the 351st BG, 95th BG, and 303rd BG "Hells Angels" . Unknown if this air crewman survived the war or did not return to the USA.

15/08/2017

"ANDY'S DANDY'S"
B-17G-40-BO 42-97071 418th Bomb Squadron 100th Bomb Group

1944-01-24 Cheyenne
1944-01-25 Accepted into Inventory
1944-02-11 Kearney
1944-02-28 Presque Isle
1944-03-02 Assigned to UK
1944-11-30 Flak Damage Merseburg, Germany. 2nd Lt Louie W. McGimsey, Navigator KIA
1945-01-06 Forced landing in Brussels due to a fuel leak to #4 engine from flak damage over Germersheim
1945-04-07 Wing shot off with resulting effect of the Bf109 exploding nearby - Hanover, Germany aircraft possibly from Sonderkommando Elbe.

On April 7, 1945, mission #931, more than 1,314 four-engine, and 898 escorting fighters began their flight into Northern Germany
U.S. Air Force bombers had only a few weeks left in operations and were ordered to targets en masse, on a mission to
target factories and freight stations of Kaltenkirchen, Parchim, oil depots at Buchen, the Gustrow munitions depot, secondary targets such as
the marshalling yards at Neumunster and Schwerin and targets of opportunity at Salzwedel,
They were suddenly challenged by The attack from Sonderkommando Elbe starting at 1:35PM as well as units of JG26.
The German fighters began selecting bombers as their targets troughout the formation from
of the sky from high above. But instead of closing in from the usual distance of
about 600 meters, firing, and then turning away, the German planes set themselves on a collision course.

Nearly two dozen of the Flying Fortresses and Liberators could not avoid the mid-air collisions:
they were rammed by the ememy fighters, between eight and 14 B-17s are lost
additional planes were torn apart or so badly damaged that they had to be abandoned.
Another 117 aircraft were damaged that day

A Bf109 attacked the airplane from 6 o'clock high and shot the left wing completely away from the fuselage.
The enemy fighter then collided with the severed B-17 wing and subsequently both exploded simutaneously.
The remainder of stricken B-17 spun down flaming and exploded either just before reaching the ground or on striking it.
Approximately 7 chutes were counted in this general area. However, none was positively identificated as coming from this airplane.

Eventually it was determined that the entire crew of nine was killed when the remainder of the aircraft exploded and had the crew been buried by
local German authorities.

2Lt Arthur R. Calder pilot
2Lt Kenneth R. Carr co-pilot
F/O William J. Burbach navigator
F/O Victor Hoffman bombidier
Sgt Leonard Piepgras eng/tt gun
SSgt Joseph C. Haller r/o
Cpl Carl J. Donnell btg
Sgt Dwayne H. Cary waist gunner
Cpl Leon E. Briggs tail gunnner

Ranks and grades as of mission date.

Lt Carr replaced the original co-pilot,
Lt John W. Stack. Sgt Cary replaced Cpl
J.J. Wipple of the original crew for this mission. (Reasons unknown.)

USAAF Noseart

29/05/2023

30/05/2022

31/05/2021

27/05/2021

05/10/2020

25/05/2020

22/03/2020

05/06/2018

05/06/2018

11/11/2017

15/08/2017

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