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B-17 Flying Fortress
The nose art of B-17G serial 42-102504 "Time's A-Wastin'" (coded LL-D) of the 401st Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group.
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst and his bomber crew of the 91st Bomb Group prepare with B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102504) nicknamed "Time's A Wastin'". Image by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst, 91st Bomb Group. Written on slide casing: '91 BG Times a wastin, Chryst returns flak.'
Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst and his bomber crew of the 91st Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-102504) nicknamed "Time's A Wastin'". Image by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Chryst, 91st Bomb Group.
Times A-Wastin' gets an engine change.
Roy H. Fratz, Crew Chief, Times A-Wastin'
Boyd Picking(?) and Roy Fratz with Times A-Wastin' (42-102504).
Times A-Wastin' with fuel truck on hardstand. 1945
Crew of the 91st Bomb Group. (L-R) Standing: T/Sgt. William F. Lewis, engineer; Gordon Beach, ball turret gunner; S/Sgt. Basil Crone, waist gunner; Edwin Ross, radio operator; Gilbert Spaugh, togglier/waist gunner; Elma Sharpe, tail gunner; Kneeling: Sam Newton, pilot; Don Bird, bombardier; Bert Stiles, co-pilot; Grant Benson, navigator. Official caption on back: "Combat crew of the 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, beside the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress "Time A Wasting", England."
Delivered Cheyenne 9/3/44; Gr Island 31/3/44; Grenier 6/4/44; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-D] Bassingbourn 11/5/44.
Loading List for Operational Mission on 1 January 1945 to Kassel.
Pilot 1st Lt. Ondrovic, John J. O-745162;
Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Potters, Robert O-10366342;
Navigator 1st Lt. Limm, Paul J. O-723118;
Bombardier T/Sgt. Wingard, Mervin R. 33284696;
Engineer / Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt. Simons, George R. 15081965;
Ball Turret Gunner S/Sgt. Glenn, Frank S. 39411090;
Radio Operator S/Sgt. Hicks, Billy P. 18242191;
Waist Gunner S/Sgt. Whittle, Ben W. 39609565;
Tail Gunner S/Sgt. Ballou, Donald T. 17169840.
Missing in Action 107m Stendahl 8/4/45 with Peter Pastras, Co-pilot: Bob Morris, Navigator: George Latches, tog-Don Lemons, Ball turret gunner: Edgar Harrell, Waist gunner: George Wong,Tail gunner: Bob O. Smith (7 Killed in Action); Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Lyle Jones, Radio Operator: Bob A. Smith (2 Prisoner of War); flak hits, exploded in mid air; Missing Air Crew Report 14295. Named by ground crew as: TIMES A-WASTIN'.
Group
The 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...
Squadron
Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Paul Chryst enlisted in the Air Corps in August 1942. After training and his commission as a 2nd Lt he was sent overseas and assigned to the 91st Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Squadron as a Bombardier. He was promoted to 1st Lt and flew 35 combat missions...
Military | Master Sergeant (1st Grade) | Crew Chief; Ground Crew | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Military | Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendal in B-17 'Times A-Wastin' #42102504
Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Stendahl on 8 Apr 45 in B-17 'Times A-Wastin' #42102504
PH, AM, POW, GCM
Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendahl in B-17 'Time A-Wastin' #42102504
Military | Staff Sergeant | Bombardier | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendahl in B-17 'Time A-Wastin' #42102504
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendahl in B-17 'Time A-Wastin' #42102504
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendahl in B-17 'Time A=Wastin' #42102504
Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
28 missions--shot down on 28th mission (Stendaalger); Lyle Jones & myself were the only crew members to safely bail out. Prisoner of War (POW) in B-17 'Times A-Wastin' #42102504
AM 3Oak Leaf Cluster; PH; EAMEC; 3BS; GC; Wings POW
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged Irregulars
Killed in Action (KIA) near Stendahl in B-17 'Time A-Wastin'#42102504
8 April 1945
Military site : airfield
Now home to a museum all about the aifield and its USAAF residents (http://www.towermuseumbassingbourn.co.uk/) , Bassingbourn opened in 1938 as part of the RAF's pre-war expansion programme. The RAF continued to use it until late in 1942 when its long...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 8 April 1945 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 11 March 2020 12:58:40 | general ira snapsorter | Changes to description |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 24 October 2015 04:56:31 | timesawastin | Changes to nicknames and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Gary Hall |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 January 2015 01:16:54 | tfratz | Changes to markings |
| Sources | ||
Bert Stiles flew several missions as Co-Pilot on Sam Newton's crew. Stiles was the author of "Serenade To The Big Bird" |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 11 January 2015 01:10:31 | tfratz | Changes to nicknames, markings and person associations |
| Sources | ||
Information came from my Father Roy H. Fratz who was Crew Chief for Times A-Wastin'. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:10 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 14295 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
||
