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Douglas B-17F-65-DL Fortress Ser.# 42-3455 “Lucky 13”
8th Air Force
384th Bombardment Group
546th Bombardment Squadron
Original Crew
SSGT Herry Saperstein (Ball Turret)
TSGT Oscar K. Hamblin (Top Turret/Engineer)
SSGT James P. Morley (Waist Gunner)
2LT Richard J. Peirce (Navigator)
2LT Warren B. Holland (Co-Pilot)
2LT Jacques E. Riddel (Pilot)
2LT Harry A. Hawes (Bombardier)
TSGT Charles L. Kirby, Jr. (Radio Operator)
SSGT Edward F. Ruch (Waist Gunner)
SSGT William H. Ross (Tail Gunner)
Riddel was killed on 28 July 1943, flying as co-pilot on Sky Queen (42-30032).
He was replaced by 1LT Russel R. Faulkiner.

Connections

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. ...

  • 384th Bomb Group

    384th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 384th Bomb Group flew B-17s from Grafton Underwood, Northamptonshire, between May 1943 and June 1945. They were engaged in daylight bombing missions over Germany as part of the Allies' efforts to destroy the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe by...

  • 546th Bomb Squadron

    546th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

People

  • Oscar Hamblin

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Top Turret Gunner
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #423455 'Lucky Thirteen. ' Evaded (EVD).

  • Harry Hawes

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Bombardier
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #42-3455 'Lucky Thirteen', Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Warren Holland

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #423455 'Lucky Thirteen. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Charles Kirby

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #42-3455 'Lucky Thirteen', Prisoner of War (POW). POW; 2 Purple Hearts, EAME ribbon w 1 star/ Air Medal w 2/Oak Leaf Cluster

  • James Morley

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Right Waist Gunner, Waist Gunner
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #423455 'Lucky Thirteen. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Richard Pierce

    Military

  • Jacques Riddel

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot
    Shot down in B-17 42-30032 BK-D, SKY QUEEN on 28 July 1943. Killed in Action. Missing Air Crew Report #15165.

  • William Ross

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #423455 'Lucky Thirteen. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Edward Ruch

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Waist Gunner
    Shot down 6 September 1943 in B-17 #423455 'Lucky Thirteen. ' Prisoner of War (POW). POW

  • Harry Saperstein

    Military

Aircraft

  • 42-3455 Lucky Thirteen

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 21/6/43; Dow 28/7/43; Assigned 546BS/384BG [BK-M] Grafton Underwood 11/8/43; Missing in Action Stuttgart 6/9/43 with Russ Faulkner, Bombardier: Harry Hawes, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Oscar Hamblin (3 evaded capture), Co...

Missions

  • VIII Bomber Command 82

    15 August 1943
    German airfields in Holland and France are the targets for this mission. All of the attacks were made late in the afternoon just prior to sunset. The mission is composed of two elements. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (20...

  • VIII Bomber Command 83

    16 August 1943
    This mission consists of two elements of B-17s despatched to bomb the German airfields of Le Bourget (Paris), Poix and Abbeville, France. The first element is a combined force of 180 B-17s from: 91BG (21); 92BG (17); 303BG (20); 305BG (20); 306BG (20);...

  • VIII Bomber Command 87

    27 August 1943
    This mission is the first attack by the USAAF on suspected V-Weapon sites. The German development of pilotless winged aircraft was first divulged to the British just shortly after the beginning of World War II in two letters sent to the British embassy...

  • VIII Bomber Command 90

    3 September 1943
    German airfields in France and the Caudron-Renault works at Paris are the targets for this mission. The mission is composed of three elements. The first element is a combined force of 168 B-17s from: 91BG (14); 351BG (19); 381BG (22); 92BG (19); 305BG ...

  • VIII Bomber Command 91

    6 September 1943
    This mission was planned as massive attack of 338 B-17s on the industrial areas of Stuttgart, Germany and would be supported by a formation of 69 B-24s flying a diversion. This would be the first action from the UK for the B-24 Groups that had recently...

Locations

  • Grafton Underwood

    Military site : airfield
    Grafton Underwood was built in 1941 by George Wimpey and Co. Ltd. It was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when in May 1942 personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence. As a satellite airfield for...

Edit entry 

Object number
UPL 38132

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
26 March 2021 23:16:03 RayWells Changes to caption
Sources

Updated bio with info from http://hangarthirteen.org/
Date Contributor Update
26 April 2019 23:24:26 phrecine@gmail.com Created entry with caption, unit associations, person associations, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

n/a

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