Skip to main content
Edit entry 

42-30181

B-17 Flying Fortress

  • B-17F Flying Fortress 42-30181 'Herky Jerky II' [ later 'Lover Boy' ] 335th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF.

    B-17F Flying Fortress 42-30181 'Herky Jerky II' [ later 'Lover Boy' ] 335th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • A B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-30233) of the 95th Bomb Group in flight during a mission over Munster, B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30181) nicknamed

    A B-17 Flying Fortress ( serial number 42-30233) of the 95th Bomb Group in flight during a mission over Munster, B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30181) nicknamed "Herky Jerky II" (circled) breaks formation due to damage. Printed caption on reverse of print: '26414 AC - Munster, Germany (Oct 10, 1943), disabled Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" in flight. U.S. Air Force Photo. 10-10-43.'

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • B-17F Flying Fortress 42-30181 'Lover Boy' [former 'Herky Jerky II'] 335th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF. The crew in front of it are a 303rd Bomb Group crew. They are: Back row (L-R): 2Lt William B. Harper (CP)(2); 2Lt Ralph M. Haddock (N); 2Lt Donald F. DeCamp (P)(1); 2Lt Robert E. Galbraith (B); T/Sgt Curtis O. Brooke (R)(4) Front row (L-R): S/Sgt Richard J. Tracy (WG); S/Sgt Gustaf J. Simon (TG)(3); S/Sgt Charles R. Doback (WG)(5); S/Sgt William H. Jenkins (TG)(5); T/Sgt William T. Hembree (E) The photo was taken on 16 June 1943 at Bangor, Maine.

    B-17F Flying Fortress 42-30181 'Lover Boy' [former 'Herky Jerky II'] 335th BS, 95th BG, 8AF USAAF. The crew in front of it are a 303rd Bomb Group crew. They are: Back row (L-R): 2Lt William B. Harper (CP)(2); 2Lt Ralph M. Haddock (N); 2Lt Donald F. DeCamp (P)(1); 2Lt Robert E. Galbraith (B); T/Sgt Curtis O. Brooke (R)(4) Front row (L-R): S/Sgt Richard J. Tracy (WG); S/Sgt Gustaf J. Simon (TG)(3); S/Sgt Charles R. Doback (WG)(5); S/Sgt William H. Jenkins (TG)(5); T/Sgt William T. Hembree (E) The photo was taken on 16 June 1943 at Bangor, Maine.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • 'Herky Jerky II' leaving formation over Holland, due to battle damage sustained over Munster. Force landed Framlingham 10-10-43. Pilot Lt Rodney E Snow. Radio Operator Harry Van Arsdale WIA.

    'Herky Jerky II' leaving formation over Holland, due to battle damage sustained over Munster. Force landed Framlingham 10-10-43. Pilot Lt Rodney E Snow. Radio Operator Harry Van Arsdale WIA.

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • George H Lindley, Bombardier 95th Bomb Group, 335th Bomb Squadron, Herky Jerky II

    George H Lindley, Bombardier 95th Bomb Group, 335th Bomb Squadron, Herky Jerky II

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • Herky Jerky II Crew

    Herky Jerky II Crew

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • Herky Jerky II Crew Names Back Row. Kurick Barbella Holcomb Marriman Snow Myself [Lindley] Front Row Verdum Hall Cooper Roth

    Herky Jerky II Crew Names Back Row. Kurick Barbella Holcomb Marriman Snow Myself [Lindley] Front Row Verdum Hall Cooper Roth

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  • Herky Jerky II B-17F- BO 42-30181

    Herky Jerky II B-17F- BO 42-30181

    Show caption About this image
    1-5 of 8
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Delivered Cheyenne 24-Apr-43; Smoky Hill 5-May-43; Kearney 29-May-43; Atlanta 2-Jun-43; Dow Field 16-Jun-43; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-X] Framlingham 19-Jun-43 HERKY JERKY II; Horham 15-Jun-43; with force landed Framlingham AF 10-Oct-43 with Pilot R.E. Snow, Radio Operator: Harry Van Arsdale WIA; credited with 23 missions, Missing in Action - Eschweiler 24-Jan-44 shot down by enemy aircraft, tailplane caught fire then broke off, crashed Wingene, 18 miles West of Ghent, Belgium. 4KIA 6POW. Missing Air Crew Report 2258. LOVER BOY.

CREW"
P 2LT Clay A. Burnett (POW); CP 2LT Douglas McLean (KIA)
N 2LT Charles Vacek (POW); B 2LT Hugh A. Gibson (POW)
E/TTG TSGT Harvey E. Kreitzman (POW); RO TSGT James E. Canard (KIA)
BTG SSGT Glenn H. Johnston (POW); RWG SSGT Paul C. Abrahamson (POW)
LWG SSGT Thomas L. Durkin (KIA); TG SSGT John F. Inman (KIA)

Service

Units

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 95th Bomb Group

    95th Bomb Group

    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...

  • 335th Bomb Squadron

    335th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Paul Abrahamson

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 24 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30181 'Herky Jerky II. ' or 'Lover Boy'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Robert Bellora

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Flight Engineer/Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group

  • Eldon Broman

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 335BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. 23 x combat missions. Shot down 10-Oct-43 in B-17 42-30272 'Fritz Blitz'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1118 Awards: POW, PH, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Clay Burnette

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 24 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30181 'Herky Jerky II. ' or 'Lover Boy'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • James Canard

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator, Radio Operator Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 24 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30181 'Herky Jerky II. ' or 'Lover Boy'. Killed in Action (KIA).

  • John Chaffin

    Military | Flight Officer | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 335BS, 95BG, 8AF USAAF. Shot down 10-Oct-43 in B-17 42-30272 'Fritz Blitz'. Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 1118 Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Donald DeCamp

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 303rd Bomb Group
    Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. 27 x combat missions. ETD Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), WWII Victory, EAME. Post war: Remained in USAF, serving in Korean and Vietnamese conflicts rising to rank of Lt Colonel.

  • Thomas Durkin

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Left Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 24 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30181 'Herky Jerky II. ' or 'Lover Boy'. Prisoner of War (POW).

  • William Fowler

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down 10 October 1943 in B-17 #4230272 'Fritz Blitz. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Hugh Gibson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
    Shot down by fighters on mission to Frankfurt on 24 Jan 1944 in B-17F #42-30181 'Herky Jerky II. ' or 'Lover Boy'. Prisoner of War (POW). POW

Show more

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 114

    10 October 1943
    This mission was intended to be a massive attack of 307 B-17s on the railroad facilities and waterway (canals) at Munster, Germany. This attack was to be supported by a diversion 39 B-24s. The formation was attacked by hundreds of German fighters which...

  • VIII Bomber Command 191

    24 January 1944
    The primary target of this mission was the Zukunft power station at Eschweilier, Germany. The mision was composed of 563 bombers three elements from 1BD, 2BD and 3BD. The despatch from 2BD was recalled doe to weather before it could take off. Mission...

Places

  • Framlingham

    Military site : airfield
    Built for the Eighth Air Force from 1942 to 43, Framlingham was home first to the 95th Bomb Group, before that unit moved to RAF Alconbury. From 1943 to 1945, it was operated by the 390th Bomb Group. The airfield was handed back to the RAF in 1945, and...

Events

Event Location Date
Crashed Framlingham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13, UK 10 October 1943

Force landed Framlingham 10-Oct-43. Pilot Lt Rodney E Snow. Radio Operator Harry Van Arsdale WIA.
Crashed Wingene, Belgium 24 January 1944 – 24 January 1944

Missing in Action Eschweiler 24-Jan-44. enemy aircraft, tailplane caught fire then broke off, crashed Wingene, 18 miles W of Ghent, Belgium. (6 x POW, 4 x KIA) Missing Air Crew Report MACR2258.
Nicknames
'Herky Jerky II' 'Lover Boy'
Production block number
B-17F-90-BO
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery

Olive drab over gray

Coded OE-X.

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
10 August 2020 14:20:03 phil marchese Changes to nicknames and markings
Sources

Added description of finish.
Date Contributor Update
25 February 2020 05:39:31 Pam Nuss Changes to description
Sources

Pam Canard Nuss, niece
Date Contributor Update
12 January 2016 22:38:29 Lee8thbuff Changes to description and events
Sources

Lee Cunningham 12-Jan-2016. Converted dates to USAAF military-style significations; Added crew postition, rank, full proper name and dispostion of crewmembers per National Archives Records Administration (NARA) MACR 2258, formatted crew display.
Date Contributor Update
09 December 2015 15:25:33 Al_Skiff Changes to production block number, nicknames, markings, events, unit associations, person associations, place associations and mission associations
Sources

AAM DB Entry.
http://95thbg.org/j3migr/95thbg-aircraft/95th-b-17-s-1942
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:27 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 2258 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Share