44-6113 No. 2 Bandwagon, Mrs. Wing Ding

Accepted: 3 May 1944

Assigned: 7 May 1944 - Douglas Aircraft / Douglas Modification Center # 16 - (Tulsa Municipal)

Assigned: 14 May 1944 / 23 May 1944 - 3rd AF / 36th HQABSQ (Staging Wing) - (Hunter AAF)

Assigned: 24 May 1944 - ATC / North Atlantic Wing - (Dow AAF)

Assigned: 28 May 1944 / 1 June 1944 - 8th AF / VIII Service Command / BAD 1 - (RAF Burtonwood)

Assigned: 2 June 1944 - 8th AF / 1st BD / 94th CBW / 401st BG / 613rd BS - (RAF Deenethorpe)

( Triangle-S ) ( IN * R / No 2 Bandwagon )

After 1 August 1944: ( Triangle-S ) Yellow diagonal strip w/ black border on vertical stabilizer ( IN * R / No 2 Bandwagon )

82 Combat missions

Crew bailed out: 5 April 1945 (Fighters / Me262)

With 1st Lt. Thomas N. Geren, Flight engineer: Sgt. David M. Lesher,

The Bandwagon II was attacked by several enemy jet-propelled fighters, damage included all 4 engines, all trim tab cables were severed plus more. Flight engineer was fatally wounded. The plane was forced to leave formation and Lt. Geren maintained full left aileron for over 2 hours until friendly territory (France) was reached. The crew lowered Lesher and bailed seconds before the Bandwagon went into a nose dive and crashed.

1 KIA, 8 RTD

8th AF mission (Ingoldstadt, Germany - Marshalling yards)

Salvaged: 5 April 1945 / 19 May 1945

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

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-672069
  • Highest Rank: Major
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 15091691
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator; Bombardier
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 612th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Navigator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Engineer/Top turret gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 39557480
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner

Places

Missions

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: No. 2 Bandwagon, Mrs. Wing Ding
  • Unit: 94th Combat Bomb Wing 401st Bomb Group 613th Bomb Squadron

Revisions

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Contributoracbernstein1
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Contributorterveurn
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spelling erros

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Contributorterveurn
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added connections

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Contributorterveurn
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spelling

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Contributorterveurn
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undated biography using information from pilots file

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Contributorterveurn
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From aircraft record cards
From 401st BG information

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Contributorterveurn
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updated basic information

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ContributorRWOLIVER
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401bg.org

Date
ContributorAAM
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Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log