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B-17 Flying Fortress
The crew of B 17 #42-97942 (Heavenly Body II). The Guy in the back row marked as "Unknown. (Not on Mission)" is Richard Billings. Shortly before the collision, the decision was taken to reduce all B 17 crews from ten men down to nine. This it was hoped,would help offset losses.
Memorial to the crew of B 17 44-6133 of the 525th Squadron, 379th BG. The memorial was raised by Mitch Peeke for the 75th Anniversary of the crash, in June of 2019. It was unveiled jointly by Jeanne Cronis-Campbell, daughter of 2nd Lt. Teddy Chronopolis, and Noel Tognazzini, nephew of S/Sgt. Cecil Tognazzini, during a special commemorative day. The memorial is located on the Seafront, overlooking the crash site, which is about 520 yards offshore, at Allhallows in Kent. The memorial is situated adjacent to the Yacht Club within the grounds of the Haven Allhallows Holiday Park.
Delivered Denver 11/4/44; Kearney 4/5/44; Dow Fd 23/5/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-K] Kimbolton 24/5/44; on return from mission to Enguine/Catts 19/6/44 with Lloyd Burns, Bombardier: Jack Gray, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Leon Gibbs, Radio Operator: Leroy Monk, Ball turret gunner: Bill Farmer, Waist gunner: Dick Andrews (6 Returned to Duty); Co-pilot: Fred Kauffman, Navigator: Ed Sadler,Tail gunner: Lou Schulte (3 Killed in Action); mid air collision with 44-6133, wreckage crashed Canvey point mud bank, River Thames estuary, UK. Missing Air Crew Report 6983.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Tulsa 10/5/44; Hunter 19/5/44; Dow Fd 29/5/44; Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-Y] Kimbolton 8/6/44; on return from mission 19/6/44 with Armand Ramcitti, Co-pilot: Bill Hager, Navigator: Don Watson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Cecil Tognazzini...
Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945.
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Group
The 379th Bomb Group (H) (heavy), based at Kimbolton, flew more sorties than any other Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force and dropped a greater bomb tonnage than any other Group. The B-17 Flying Fortress Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit...
Squadron
Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Returned from Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 6983
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Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. Lt Burns lied about his age, with his father's permission and joined the AAF at 18 instead of 19. Flew all his missions, between Apr 44 and June 44. He was just 20 years old when he completed them and the youngest...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 524BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 36 x combat missions. ETD
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 32 x missions. Returned from Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 6983
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Returned from Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 6983
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 31 x missions. Returned from Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 6983
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 29 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 6983
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), PH
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 30 x missions. Returned from Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Returned to Duty (RTD) MACR 6983
Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | Flight Officer | Navigator | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 28 x missions. Failed to Return (FTR) Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 6983
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 379th Bomb Group
Assigned to 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. 29th mission. Failed to Return (FTR) Zudausques mission in B-17 42-97942; A/C collided with 44-6133 in the haze and crashed into the Thames Estuary. Killed in Action (KIA) MACR 6983
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Military site : airfield
Planned for RAF use, Kimbolton airfield was built by W and C French Ltd. in 1941. The airfield was increased in size to accommodate a full US heavy Bomb Group, and the first such unit to us it was the 91st Bomb Group, who arrived in September 1942....
Crash site
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Manufactured | Long Beach, CA | 1944 |
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Built at Vega. |
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| Delivered | Denver AAF, CO | 11 April 1944 |
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Delivered Denver AAF 11-Apr-44. |
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| Assigned | Kimbolton, UK | 24 May 1944 |
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Assigned 525BS, 379BG, 8AF USAAF. |
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| Crashed | Canvey Island | 19 June 1944 – 19 June 1944 |
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Failed to Return (FTR) from mission to Enguine/Catts 19-Jun-44; mid air collision with 44-6133, wreckage crashed Canvey point mud bank, River Thames estuary, UK. MACR 6983. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 June 2019 11:43:00 | Al_Skiff | Changes to production block number, manufacturer, nicknames, markings, description, events, unit associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
https://www.fold3.com/image/28680852?terms=42-97942 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:41:17 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 6983 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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