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Closeup of "Nut Cracker" Douglas-Long Beach B-17F-10-DL Flying Fortress, s/n 42-2985, 414th BS, 97th BG, 12th AF. Hit by flak on 1 August 1943 mission to bomb the airfield at Naples, Italy. 5 KIA, 5 POW.
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"Nut Cracker" Douglas-Long Beach B-17F-10-DL Flying Fortress, s/n 42-2985, 414th BS, 97th BG, 12th AF. Hit by flak on 1 August 1943 mission to bomb the airfield at Naples, Italy. 5 KIA, 5 POW.
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"Nut Cracker" Douglas-Long Beach B-17F-10-DL Flying Fortress, s/n 42-2985, 414th BS, 97th BG, 12th AF. Hit by flak on 1 August 1943 mission to bomb the airfield at Naples, Italy. 5 KIA, 5 POW.
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"Nut Cracker" Douglas-Long Beach B-17F-10-DL Flying Fortress, s/n 42-2985, 414th BS, 97th BG, 12th AF. Hit by flak on 1 August 1943 mission to bomb the airfield at Naples, Italy. 5 KIA, 5 POW.
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B-17F-10-DL 42-2985 ‘Nut Cracker’ and crew. Then 1st Lt. Robert Rast is back center.
Delivered W Palm Beach 8/1/43; Assigned 414BS/97BG Biskra 28/1/43; Chateau-du-Rhumel 8/2/43; Missing in Action Naples 1/8/43 with Bob Rast, Alvarado, Ponemone, Bigelow, Dibble, Shea, Anderson, Nichols, Smith, Mathews; flak hit knocked off wing, crashed target area. Missing Air Crew Report 355.
Service
Units
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The 12th Air Force was established in the USA during the Second World War to provide the Army Air Force component of Operation Torch (the invasion of French North Africa) in 1942. The Air Force initially moved to England for training before...
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Group
The 97th Bomb Group flew the Eighth Air Force's first heavy bomber mission from the UK when they bombed a marshalling yard at Rouen on 17 August 1942. Just a month later though the Group were reassigned to the Twelfth Air Force and left England for the...
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People
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Military | Lieutenant | Airplane Commander | 97th Bomb Group
Shot down on Aug 1 1943 in B-17 #422985 Prisoner of War (POW), first in Italy then in Germany. 5 people parachuted from plane Plane was 'the Nutcracker'
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Military | Master Sergeant | Flight Engineer; Engineer; Gunner | 97th Bomb Group
Sergeant. Shea flew 50 missions, he was originally with the 8th then transferred to 15th AAF and was stationed in Italy. He flew on 'The Nutcracker*. He was shot down on his 50th mission over Naples was captured by the fascists and consigned to Campo...
Events
Not yet known