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42-31088

B-17 Flying Fortress

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Delivered Cheyenne 20/9/43; Scott 25/9/43; Assigned 711BS/447BG Rattlesden 19/11/43; crashed on take off for mission 12/4/44 with Pilot: Philip King, Co-pilot: John Dillon, Navigator: Clarence V. Anderson, Bombardier: John Pruner, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: William Harrison, Radio Operator: Lloyd Boltz, Waist gunner: Duncan Campbell (7 Killed in Service); Ball turret gunner: John Burek, Waist gunner: Don Grainger, Tail gunner: Carl Rettzel (3 Returned to Duty); struck tree on take off and crashed Grange Farm, Blacksmith Lane, Thorpe Morieux, Suffolk. Salvaged 13/4/44.

Service

Units

  • 447th Bomb Group

    447th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...

  • 711th Bomb Squadron

    711th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Clarence Anderson

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
    Killed in Action (KIA) Crashed on take-off, April 12, 1944, B-17G #42-31088, 'Heaven Can Wait'. Navigator in Philip King crew.

  • Edward Kelly

    Military | 447th Bomb Group
    Assigned to Wesley Hudson's crew and served on B-17 42-31088 nicknamed "Heaven Can Wait"

Places

  • Rattlesden

    Military site : airfield
    Built for the Eighth Air Force in 1942, Rattlesden had three concrete runways, 50 hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. Intended to be a twin-engine B-26 bomber base, it was originally a satellite for nearby Rougham, and first occupied from...

Events

Not yet known

Nicknames
Heaven Can Wait
Production block number
B-17G-1-BO
Manufacturer
Boeing
Markings and paint scheme/livery
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
25 May 2018 17:11:20 LUCKY PARTNERS Changes to description
Sources

lp
Date Contributor Update
25 May 2018 17:05:09 LUCKY PARTNERS Changes to production block number, manufacturer and description
Sources

lp
Date Contributor Update
25 May 2018 16:58:59 LUCKY PARTNERS Changes to unit associations
Sources

lp
Date Contributor Update
07 April 2016 15:40:55 JoeTate Changes to nicknames
Sources

http://www.447bg.com/Harvard%20Planes.htm
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:40:36 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

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