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B-17 Flying Fortress
A crashed B-17F Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29854) nicknamed "Ole Flack Sack" of the 381st Bomb Group, 7 August 1943. Official caption on image: "(GAD-138-2-381)(7-8-43)(A/C 29854 - Type B17F)."
Delivered Denver 26/2/43; Casper 13/3/43; Tinker 10/4/43; Memphis 17/4/43; Presque 27/4/43; Assigned 532BS/381BG [VE-B] Ridgewell 4/5/43; in landing accident at base with Leo Jarvis 7/8/43; Missing in Action 1+m Bremen 8/10/43 with Art Sample, Navigator: Capt Norman MacKay, tog-Bob Moore, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Howard Ballou, Radio Operator: Warren Heintz, Ball turret gunner: Melvin Olson, Waist gunner: Bill Grayson,Tail gunner: George Johnston (8 Killed in Action), Co-pilot: Ed Cytarzynski, Waist gunner: Jim Forbes, (2 Prisoner of War); enemy aircraft, crashed Doerrieloh, 14 miles E of Diepholz, Ger. Missing Air Crew Report 1395. 'OLE FLAK SACK.'
Group
The 381st Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses from Ridgewell, Essex between June 1943 and April 1945. The Group was awarded two Distinguished Unit Citations, the first for bombing shipyards at Bremen, whilst under heavy attack, on 8 October 1943 and...
Squadron
Military | Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer | 381st Bomb Group
ETTG, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). The aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded....
Military | First Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Co-pilot, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. 2Lt Sample bailed out as the aircraft began to spin and landed near Diepholtz,...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
LWG, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS, 8th AF. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Prisoner of War at Stalag Luft IV.
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Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
RWG, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany, MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). The aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded.
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Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Radio operator, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). T/Sgt Heintz was wounded in the aircraft prior to it...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
Tail gunner, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). The aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded...
Military | Captain | Navigator | 381st Bomb Group
Navigator, Sample crew. Squadron Navigator, 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Captain MacKay was demoted from Group Navigator to Squadron...
Military | Staff Sergeant | Togglier | 381st Bomb Group
Togglier, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). The aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded....
Military | Staff Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 381st Bomb Group
BTG, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action. the aircraft went out of control, started to spin and exploded. Buried in...
Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 381st Bomb Group
Pilot, Sample crew. 381st BG, 532nd BS. Shot down 8 October 1943 in B-17 #42-29854 'Ole Flak Sack'. Mission #36 to the shipyards at Bremen, Germany. MACR 1395. Killed in Action (KIA). The aircraft lost control, started spinning and exploded. Buried in...
8 October 1943
The shipyards and industrial areas of Bremen, Germany are the primary targets for this mission, but cloud cover causes some formations to bomb targets of opportunity. The attacking elements have been summarized below:
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Military site : airfield
Built during 1941-42 as an RAF bomber station, Ridgewell operated as a satellite to RAF Stradishall until May 1943. It had three concrete runways, initially 36 pan hardstandings, and two dispersed T2 hangars. Taken over by the Eighth Air Force in June...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Failed to Return (FTR) | Germany | 8 October 1943 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 22 November 2017 03:31:02 | ARowe95 | Changes to markings, description and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
ARowe95 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:40:24 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 1395 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database |
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