44-6146 Little Cheezer

Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6146) of the 401st Bomb Group, and of the 486th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'IN-R, 401BG.' A veteran has handwritten on reverse: 'Winter of 1944. This plane's bombardier was my best friend in high school. We joined the aviation cadets together in fall of 1942. Plane is from the 486th Bomb Group. It was struck in the rear by another plane in formation and tail gunner fell to his death over Germany. The Germans buried him and sent ph media-414274.jpg FRE 8097 Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6146) of the 401st Bomb Group, and of the 486th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'IN-R, 401BG.' A veteran has handwritten on reverse: 'Winter of 1944. This plane's bombardier was my best friend in high school. We joined the aviation cadets together in fall of 1942. Plane is from the 486th Bomb Group. It was struck in the rear by another plane in formation and tail gunner fell to his death over Germany. The Germans buried him and sent photo to his parents of tomb-stone which gave his home address as Indianapolis, Illinois instead of Indiana. This plane landed at the crash-landing base in Southern England. Bombardier was 1st Lt. Delmar Claussen of Sioux Falls, So. Dakota. He claims to be a German ace as he bailed out once and crashed 4 times.' Roger Freeman Collection

Removed association tp person - not depicted in the image.

Object Number - FRE 8097 - Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6146) of the 401st Bomb Group, and of the 486th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on...

Delivered Tulsa 14/5/44; Kearney 24/5/44; Dow Fd 1/6/44; Assigned 615BS/401BG [IY-R] Deenethorpe 10/6/44; 613BS [IN-R]; Returned to the USA Bradley 7/6/45; Sth Plains 9/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 14/12/45. LITTLE CHEEZER.

Connections

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Units served with

A pathfinder B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 44-8258) of the 401st Bomb Group. Image by Robert Astrella. Written on slide casing: '48258 14 A, Mount Farm.'

401st Bomb Group

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

People

Leroy E Adams

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Master Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner / Flight Engineer

Jack Douglas Agee

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 6962724
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner

Lewis L Allen

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Tail Gunner

Robert Frederick Alles

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33613269
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Togglier

Howard E Anderson

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 615th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer/Top Turret Gunner

Places

Missions

Related media

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Document 53399

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53399
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 254, 20 Apr 1945, Brandenburg, Germany
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Document 53402

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53402
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 251, 17 Apr 1945, Dresden, Germany
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Document 53483

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53483
  • Description: 301st Bomb Group, Mission No. 247, 11 Apr 1945, Freiham, Germany. Briefing took place at 0500 hours, with Assembly ordered over Buncher Y in France at...
Download File

Document 53486

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53486
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 245, 9 Apr 1945, Furstenfeldbruck, Germany. Briefing took place at the relatively civilized hour of 0500. However SNAFU...
Download File

Document 53488

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53488
  • Description: 301st Bomb Group, Mission No. 244, 8 Apr 1945, Halberstadt, Germany. Briefing again took place in the middle of the night--0240 hours. All operational...
Download File

Document 53492

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53492
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 243, 7 Apr 1945, Luneburg, Germany. Briefing was again held at an early hour--0230 hours. Pilots were briefed for a...
Download File

Document 53514

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53514
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 241, 4 Apr 1945, Unterlüss, Germany. Briefing was again scheduled for the early hour of 0250. All operational aircraft...
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Document 53530

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53530
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 239, 30 Mar 1945, Bremen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0720 hours for this mission. Aircraft were loaded with twelve...
Download File

Document 53558

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53558
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 236, 24 Mar 1945, Rheine/Salzbergen, Germany. The Group was briefed at 0300 hours for the first of the day's two...
Download File

Document 53563

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53563
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 233, 21 Mar 1945, Hopsten, Germany. Briefing at 0330 hours. The ships of the Lead Squadron were loaded with twelve 500...
Download File

Document 53565

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53565
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 231, 18 Mar 1945, Berlin, Germany. Briefing took place at 0315 hours. The ships were loaded with twelve 100 pound GP's...
Download File

Document 53567

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53567
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 229, 15 Mar 1945, Zossen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0636 hours. The ships were loaded with six 500 pound GP's plus...
Download File

Document 53597

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53597
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 228, 14 Mar 1945, Lohne, Germany. Briefing took place at 0745 hours. All aircraft were loaded with 34 100 pound GP's...
Download File

Document 53600

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53600
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 226, 11 Mar 1945, Bremen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0630 hours. Aircraft were loaded with 42 M-47 IB's. All...
Download File

Document 53601

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53601
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 225, 10 Mar 1945, Hagen, Germany. The Group was briefed at 0615 hours. Aircraft were loaded with thirty-four 100 pound...
Download File

Document 53602

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53602
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 224, 8 Mar 1945, Essen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0800 hours. The aircraft were loaded with twelve 500 pound GP's...
Download File

Document 53618

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53618
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 222, 4 Mar 1945, Schwab-Munchen. Breakfast for flight crews was at 0200 hours and briefing at 0300 hours--another long...
Download File

Document 53619

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53619
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 221, 3 Mar 1945, Chemnitz, Germany.
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Document 53621

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53621
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 220, 2 Mar 1945, Chemnitz, Germany. The Group was briefed for a long mission at the early hour of 0300. By 0707 hours...
Download File

Document 53662

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53662
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 217, 27 Feb 1945, Leipzig, Germany. Briefing took place at 0700 hours, and all operational aircraft were airborne by...
Download File

Document 53663

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53663
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 216, 26 Feb 1945, Berlin, Germany. Briefing took place at 0500 hours, and by 0841 hours all 20 aircraft were off on the...
Download File

Document 53705

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53705
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 213, 23 Feb 1945, Ottingen, Germany. Another early briefing-- at 0345 hours. Aircraft loading was twelve 500 pound G.P...
Download File

Document 53706

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53706
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 212, 22 Feb 1945, Ludwigslust, Germany. Briefing took place at 0445 hours, and all operational aircraft were off by 0905...
Download File

Document 53788

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53788
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 211, 21 Feb 1945, Nurnberg, Germany. Group briefing took place at 0345 hours. Pilots were warned of obstructions and...
Download File

Document 53803

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53803
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 208, 15 Feb 1945, Dresden, Germany. The Group was briefed at 0400 hours. Aircraft loading was eighteen 250 pound G.P.'s...
Download File

Document 53807

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53807
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 206, 10 Feb 1945, Dulmen, Germany. Briefing took place at 0445 hours. Aircraft loading was six 1,000 pound G.P.'s. and...
Download File

Document 53808

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53808
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 205, 9 Feb 1945, Lutzkendorf (Primary) Eisenach (T.O.) Germany. The Group was briefed at 0530 hours. Aircraft loading...
Download File

Document 53809

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53809
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 204, 6 Feb 1945, Giessen (T.O.) Eisfeld (T.O.) Germany. Briefing took place at 0415 hours. Aircraft loading was ten...
Download File

Document 53862

  • Media Type: Document
  • Object Number: Document 53862
  • Description: 401st Bomb Group, Mission No. 198, 21 Jan 1945, Aschaffenburg, Germany. Briefing was conducted at the relatively early hour of 0400. Aircraft were...

Revisions

Date
Contributoracbernstein1
Changes
Sources

http://401bg.org/Main/History/Aircraft/Details.aspx?ID=6146

Date
Contributorptmcarron
Changes
Sources

Information provided by Patrick Terence McArron

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

44-6146: Gallery (30 items)

Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial number 44-6146) of the 401st Bomb Group, and of the 486th Bomb Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'IN-R, 401BG.' A veteran has handwritten on reverse: 'Winter of 1944. This plane's bombardier was my best friend in high school. We joined the aviation cadets together in fall of 1942. Plane is from the 486th Bomb Group. It was struck in the rear by another plane in formation and tail gunner fell to his death over Germany. The Germans buried him and sent ph

Object number: FRE 8097 - Damaged B-17 Flying Fortresses including (serial...