42-38078 Sweet Pea

media-7316.jpeg UPL 7316 Italy - Blasted wide open in the waist section by enemy flak, this 15th AAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress limped home 600 miles and with skillful piloting crash landed without additional injury to the crew.

Image courtesy of Astrid van Erp, Fields of Honour database at http://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/

Object Number - UPL 7316 - Italy - Blasted wide open in the waist section by enemy flak, this 15th AAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress limped home 600 miles and with skillful...

Delivered Denver 6/12/43; Savannah 23/12/43; Assigned 347BS/99BG 7/1/44; 14m transferred 429BS/2BG Amendola 28/3/44; severe battle damaged Debreczen 21/9/44 with Guy Miller, Co-pilot: Tom Rybovich, Navigator: Theo Davich, Bombardier: Bob Mullen, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Jim Maguire (Wounded in Action), Radio Operator: Tony Ferrera (Wounded in Action), Ball turret gunner: Bill Stueck (7 Returned to Duty); Waist gunner: Jim Totty, Tail gunner: Elmer Buss (2 Killed in Action); crash landed base and broke in half, then after repair aircraft was flown again by Miller 1/12/44; flown with Bill Morton 1/6/45 crash landed Bari, Italy, destroyed by fire. SWEET PEA.

Connections

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

Units served with

2nd Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Nilo G Abel

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 2nd Bomb Group 429th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15070644
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Crew Chief

Elmer H Buss

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 2nd Bomb Group 429th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38275569
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist gunner

Theodore Bert Davich

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 2nd Bomb Group 429th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13130452 / O-?
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator

Anthony Ferrara

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 2nd Bomb Group 429th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Walter Patton Gray

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 49th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-818143
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Places

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a space in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a unit connection to the 15th AF.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added connections to the 429th BS and Amendola mentioned in the A/C description.

Date
Contributorjmoore43
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Sources

Added a space in front of the words "Tail gunner" in the A/C “Description” to aid clarity.

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

466th BG Historian

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

42-38078: Gallery (8 items)

A 429th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-38078) nicknamed "Sweet Pea" on its way to Russia, on a shuttle mission. The aircraft would later be written off after crash landing at its home airbase on the 1 June 1945. Handwritten caption on reverse: '429BS, 2BG. 238078, 'Sweet Pea', c/l base 1/6/45.' Printed caption on reverse: '54407 - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on shuttle mission to Russia.' On reverse: Substandard Original Material and US Air Force 1361st Photographic S

Object number: FRE 10142 - A 429th Bomb Squadron, 2nd Bomb Group B-17 Flying...

Object number: UPL 29303 - Italy-This Boeing B-17 received a direct hit by...

Object number: UPL 29304 - This plane received a direct hit by flak over...

Object number: UPL 29332 - Crew of B-17 42-38078 'Sweet Pea' pose after their...

Object number: UPL 40310 - Sweet Pea nose art, pilot Guy Miller, center.

Object number: UPL 7316 - Italy - Blasted wide open in the waist section by...

Object number: UPL 7317 - B-17G-25-DL #42-38078 "Sweet Pea" 2nd Bomb Group -...

Object number: UPL 7318 - Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress on a shuttle mission...