40-3097 The Swoose

media-24362.jpeg UPL 24362 B-17D-BO #40-3097 "The Swoose"
Originally with the 19th BG, she was the longest serving B-17 during the war

Object Number - UPL 24362 - B-17D-BO #40-3097 "The Swoose" Originally with the 19th BG, she was the longest serving B-17 during the war

LONGEST SERVING B-17 in USAAF. Assigned 14BS/11BG (#21 on tail) then 19BG Hickam Field 14-May-41; Clark Field, Philippines 17-Oct-41 with Henry Godman, Bob Clinkscales, Carl Epperson, John Wallach, Coley James, Norman Michelson, Herb Weist, Junior Brooks as originally OLE BETSY; Delivered Monte 6-Dec-41 to Batchelor, Australia 18-Dec-41 with Henry Godman, Friedman, Carl Epperson, John Wallach, Coley James, Norman Michelson, Herb Weist, Junior Brooks, Oline Light, Marvell; to Samarinda, Borneo, and damaged by Japanese attacks then again when bombed in Singosari, Java 30-Dec-41 with Cecil Combs, repaired with tail from 40-3091; on return from mission 9/6/42 with Capt Frank Kurtz en route for Cloncurry, Aus., with ? force landed at Carisbrooke, on board being Capt Lyndon Baines Johnson, who became 36th president of USA; Returned to the USA 17-Nov-44; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 24-Nov-46. Was personal hack for Gen George M.Brett, and later a VIP transport; saved from Kingman scapyard by Col Frank Kurtz and donated in Jan 1949 to the Smithsonian Institute, the longest serving B-17 in USAAF. Kurtz flew it to Mines Field, now Los Angeles International Airport 6-Apr-46 for storage then in May 48 flew it again to Park Ridge, Illinois, a one time C-54 assembly plant, for storage, only for the USAF took back the facility for military use. Then on 18-Jan-52 an USAF crew flew it to Pyote, Tex., for storage, the seven years later it went to Andrews AFB, MD., before transferring to Silver Hill, Md., for restoration and to the Smithsonian. Only known US military aircraft to have flown a mission on its first day of entry into service and remained so until the end of hostilities. After further restoration, it is set for display at the USAF Museum at Dayton, Oh. THE SWOOSE. Never served in the UK. Kurtz’s daughter, the actress Swoosie Kurtz, is named for this B-17.

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People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 463rd Bomb Group
  • Highest Rank: Colonel
  • Role/Job: Pilot / Group Commander
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 385th Bomb Group 548th Bomb Squadron
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot

Places

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Corrected a typo in the "Summary biography" - “served” was misspelled.

Date
Contributorjhuston79
Changes
Sources

B-17 Combat Crewmen newsletter

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

B-17 Flying Fortress Story - Roger Freeman

Date
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources

Lee Cunningham 31-May-2015. Appended model to TN (conevntion used for aircraft that never served in UK), edited Description (wrote out acronyms), added production block, added manufacturer, converted dates to military-style signification per "The B-17 Flying Fortress Stroy", Roger A. Freeman with David Osborne.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log

40-3097: Gallery (1 items)