42-31083 Tenny Belle

media-31619.jpeg UPL 31619 42-31083 (Tenny Belle (FR-A)) with members of the 525th BS Ordnance Armament Crew

personal files

Object Number - UPL 31619 - 42-31083 (Tenny Belle (FR-A)) with members of the 525th BS Ordnance Armament Crew

Delivered Cheyenne 15/9/43;



Assigned 525BS/379BG [FR-A] Kimbolton 19/10/43;



Take off accident, on her 38th mission (379th Mission #95 / 8th AF Mission #298 against the Focke-Wulf facility in Sorau) 11/4/44; crash landed Fen Farm, Stow Bardolph, Barroway Drove Norfolk, with John Daly, Co-pilot: Bob Koerber, ng-S/Sgt Carl Christianson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Adriel Langendoerfer, Radio Operator: Omer Young, Ball turret gunner: Harvey Tuber, Waist gunner: Frank Hearne, Waist gunner: John McCallum, Tail gunner: Howard Polizzo (9 KIA - when ship crash landed); Navigator: Bill Evans (RTD - bailed out safely); Salvaged 18/4/44.



Specific model details: an early -G model, the 51st from Boeing, with the Bendix remotely sighted chin turret that replaced the nose and cheek guns on earlier models. Production pre-dates the "Cheyenne" tail turret mod. Waist gun positions were fully enclosed in Plexiglas, and level with each other. The radio compartment gun was also enclosed.



In 2018 a memorial-plaque was unveiled inside Barroway Drove Village Hall, the crew's names (from the 'Tenny Belle'), are commemorated on this plaque.

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

The insignia of the 379th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 19179290
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38094689 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 525th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 36276991
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Bombardier / Waist Gunner / Nose Gunner / Togglier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 379th Bomb Group 526th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 12127384
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer

Places

media-31109.pdf (3.62 MB) Document 31109 The Official Report of Aircraft Accident (A.A.F. Form No. 14) for B-17G 42-31083, Tenny Belle on 11 April 1944. Lists all crew members, reports from ground personnel, the one survivor and official findings.

Official War Department document/Open Source.

  • Site type: Aircraft crash site

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Delivered

Cheyenne Modification Center 15 September 1943 Modified with all it's armaments and combat equipment, then test flown. Once determined to be fit for flight, the aircraft was delivered to the 379th BG.

Assigned

Kimbolton AAF 19 October 1943 Assigned 525th BS, 379th BG

Crashed

Barroway Drove, Norfolk 11 April 1944 Take off accident, Sorau 11/4/44; crash landed Fen Farm, Barroway Drove Norfolk, UK., with John Daly, Co-pilot: Bob Koerber, ng-S/Sgt Carl Christianson, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Adriel Langendoerfer, Radio Operator: Omer Young, Ball turret gunner: Harvey Tuber, Waist gunner: Frank Hearne, Waist gunner: John McCallum,Tail gunner: Howard Polizzo (9KIA- when ship crash landed); Navigator: Bill Evans (RTD- bailed out safely)

Manufactured

Boeing Plant 2 / Air Force Plant 17 Manufactured at Boeing Plant 2 (also known as Air Force Plant 17) which was a factory building which was built in 1936 by the Boeing Corporation in King County, Washington in the United States. By the time production ceased in the building, the plant had built half of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses, the Boeing 307s, the Boeing 377s, some of the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, Boeing B-50 Superfortresses, B-47 Stratojets, B-52 Stratofortresses, and the initial Boeing 737s. It was located between the Duwamish River and Boeing Field.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a space before the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid readability.

Date
ContributorEmily
Changes
Sources

Removed source information added by Horsham from biography, and corrected information in record

Date
ContributorHornchurch
Changes
Sources

Several corrections to make, to the above.....
1, = Stow Bardolph & Barroway Drove are two totally separate locations...
2, = Barroway Drove is noticably to the West of the Gt.River Ouse
3, = It is even further away (much further West) from the main A.10 highway*
(To the East of the village of Wimbotsham, which is North from Downham Mkt)
4, = Stow Bardolph is on the Northern Boundary of the RAF Bexwell airfield**
(Base used by RAF Heavy Bombers, Short Stirlings & Avro Lancasters, '43-'45)
5, = Barroway Drove IS the place of the crash-site, NOT Stow Bardolph.***
In 2018 a memorial-plaque was unveiled inside Barroway Drove Village Hall
The crew's names (from the 'Tenny Belle'), are commemorated on this plaque
Link below, is currently 11-months old & still active, from local news article...
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/new-war-memorial-at-barroway-drove-1-58149…

6, = Neither Barroway Drove (Fens), or Stow Bardolph are in Suffolk at all....
Suffolk is a neighbouring county which lies to the South (i.e Mildenhall & Lakenheath)

7, = ALL the places; crash-site & names mentioned, are in the county of NORFOLK
8, = Lastly.....
'Tenny Belle' broke-up in mid-air, therefore "crash-landed" is erroneous & misleading.

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

multiple on-line sources based upon serial number and a/c photo

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

B-17 database

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

8th AF mission database

Date
ContributorJennings
Changes
Sources

Joseph W. Jennings Military Papers - 1943-1945

Date
ContributorJennings
Changes
Sources

Joseph W. Jennings Military Papers - 1943-1945

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

Edited to reflect actual incident details from the Accident report (attached in media)

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

avail/known data

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

corrected typo in block no.

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

updated; web databases

Date
ContributorTennyBelle
Changes
Sources

various web sources/databases

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

42-31083: Gallery (6 items)