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B-17 Flying Fortress
The Full House (42-97797)
Technical Sergeant Alyre J Comeau, a radio operator of the 95th Bomb Group with his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-97232 ) nicknamed "Sandy's Refueling Boys", August 1944. Image via Albert Keeler, 95th Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: 'T/Sgt Comeau radio operator 412 BS.'
SSgt Leo P. Makelky Ball Turret gunner "Full House" B17G 42-97797
Delivered Denver 28/2/44; Kearney 18/3/44; Dow Fd 7/4/44; Assigned 412BS/95BG [QW-H] Horham 8/4/44; transferred 336BS, (ET–H); 49m.
Missing in Action Brandenburg 16/8/44 with:
Pilot :Alan Hannum,
Co-pilot: Ken Loehwing,
Navigator: Gene Cantrell,
Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Dick Kuna,
Ball turret gunner: Fred Matthews,
Waist gunner: Ned Tillson (6 Killed in Action).
Bombardier: Angelo Genova,
Radio Operator: Bill Purdy,
Waist gunner: John Sharonwia-335BS,
Tail gunner: Leroy Presley (Prisoner of War).
Flak KO’d #3 and part of wing, ship went down and was involved in mid-air collision with 42-37879, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Germany. Missing Air Crew Report 8175. FULL HOUSE.
This aircraft was flown by pilot George J Dancisin and his crew (including Leo Makelky as ball turret gunner) on 29+ combat missions from April until August of 1944. It was lost on August 16, 1944 while in use by an alternate crew piloted by A E Hannun on a mission to Zeitz Germany.
Leo Makelky (ball turret gunner) and Larry Stevens (tail gunner) flew on this aircraft for most of their combat tour of duty - 29 of their 35 missions from April to August of 1944. After this plane's FOS (first operational sortie April 22, 1944) which was flown by a different pilot, it was pretty much assigned to pilot Lt. George Dancisin and his crew.
The Dancisin crew was on leave after having flown 34 of their required 35 missions on August 16,1944 when the Full House was being used by a different crew piloted by Lt Hannun on a mission to Zeitz Germany. A direct flak hit to the right wing caused the Full House to collide with another aircraft and both were lost. See MACR 8175 (missing air crew report)
The Dancisin crew returned from leave and flew their 35th and final mission on a new B-17G 43-38067 named "Big Chief Illiniwek by their crew chief. That date was August 25, 1944 and the mission was to Politz.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Denver 29/9/43; Gr Island 22/10/43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [BG-U] Horham 11/11/43; with W.P. Kelley force landed Attlebridge afb, Suffolk, 11/12/43; two days later the u/c would not extend and force landed at Honington AFB with H. M. Powers, Co...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
...
Group
The 95th Bomb Group was the only Eighth Air Force Group to be awarded three Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, shared by all four Bomb Wing Groups, was for the bombing of an aircraft factory under intense enemy fire at Regensburg on 17 August...
Squadron
Squadron
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brandenburg in B-17 42-97797 'Full House'16-Aug-44. Flak hit caused mid-air collision, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Germany. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 8175
Awards: AM (2OLC), PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 95th Bomb Group
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Flew a total of 35 missions on 'Full House' 42-97797
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Prisoner of War (POW) Mid air collison and crashed at Rohmdorf on 8/16/44 in B-17 Full House #4297797
POW
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 21 x combat missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Brandenburg 16-Aug-44 in B-17 42-97797. Flak KO’d #3 and part of wing, ship went down, involved in mid-air collision with 42-37879, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Ger....
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brandenburg in B-17 42-97797 'Full House'16-Aug-44. Flak hit caused mid-air collision, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Germany. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 8175
Awards: PH.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner ; Flight Engineer | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
Assigned to 412BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Brandenburg in B-17 42-97797 'Full House'16-Aug-44. Flak hit caused mid-air collision, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Germany. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 8175
Awards: PH.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
Shuttle to Russia-2nd. 35 combat missions from 4 April to 25 August 1944. Flew on Full House (42-97797) for 29 of 35 completed missions.
DFC/ AM w/ 4 Oak Leaf Cluster/ Russia VM/ 3 PUC
16 August 1944
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Crashed | Rehmsdorf, 06729 Elsteraue, Germany | 16 August 1944 – 16 August 1944 |
|
Missing in Action Brandenburg 16/8/44. Flak KO’d #3 and part of wing, ship went down and was involved in mid-air collision with 42-37879, crashed Rehmsdorf, NE of Zeitz, Germany. (4 x POW, 6 x KIA) Missing Air Crew Report MACR8175. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2019 15:52:57 | FullHouse | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
Corrected nose art cards- MM |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 03 August 2018 11:11:34 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
Moved 'Source' information to Biography. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 December 2015 10:29:35 | Al_Skiff | Changes to mission associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM DB Entry. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 20 December 2015 10:27:41 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, description, events and unit associations |
| Sources | ||
AAM DB Entry. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 October 2015 15:18:11 | FullHouse | Changes to person associations and place associations |
| Sources | ||
This update comes from information and pictures from my father, Leo Makelky (ball turret gunner) and Larry Stevens (tail gunner) who flew on this aircraft for most of their combat tour of duty - 29 of their 35 missions from April to August of 1944. After this plane's FOS (first operational sortie April 22, 1944) which was flown by a different pilot, it was pretty much assigned to pilot Lt George Dancisin and his crew containing my father and tail gunner Stevens. The Dancisin crew was on leave after having flown 34 of their required 35 missions on August 16,1944 when the Full House was being used by a different crew piloted by Lt Hannun on a mission to Zeitz Germany. A direct flak hit to the right wing caused the Full House to collide with another aircraft and both were lost. See MACR 8175 (missing air crew report) The Dancisin crew returned from leave and flew their 35th and final mission on a new B-17G #43-38067 named "Big Chief Illiniwek by their crew chief. That date was August 25, 1944 and the mission was to Politz. Aircraft and mission information obtained from the book "Operational Record Of the 95th Bomb Group (H)" by Paul M. Andrews |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 October 2015 05:21:14 | FullHouse | Changes to nicknames and markings |
| Sources | ||
This aircraft was flown by pilot George J Dancisin and his crew (including my father Leo Makelky as ball turret gunner) on 29+ combat missions from April until August of 1944. It was lost on August 16, 1944 while in use by an alternate crew piloted by A E Hannun on a mission to Zeitz Germany. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:15 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 8175 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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