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
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Wing
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Combat organisation
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
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Benefield
Missions
- Date: 16 April 1945
- Date: 15 April 1945
- Date: 10 April 1945
- Date: 8 April 1945
- Date: 5 April 1945
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