Delivered Cheyenne 12/3/44; Gr Island 2/4/44; Grenier 29/4/44; Assigned 728BS/452BG [9Z-Z] Deopham Green 3/5/44; on return from Royan Afd complete with bomb load 19/6/44 with Oliver Wright, Co-pilot: Bob Merryman, Navigator: Alfd Turner, Bombardier: Barnard Burda, Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Martin Nelson, Radio Operator: Alvin Winand, Ball turret gunner: Jim Gilmore, Waist gunner: Bill Harrison, Waist gunner: John Peterson,Tail gunner: Henry Zaranaki (10 Returned to Duty); crash landed Gt Bricett Hall, near RAF Wattisham & burned followed by explosion; Salvaged 21/6/44. AIN'T MISS BEHAVIN'.



“One of the B17s sent out to bomb an airfield in France that day, returned to England and was forced to crash land at Wattisham. B17G BO, Arial number 42-102541, "Ain't Misbehavin' II" , assigned to the 452nd BG/728th BS (Deopham Green, Norfolk) had suffered a flak hit over its target and was not able to open its bomb bay doors. Returning on two engines, the bomber lost a third just before making Wattisham. Bellying in on the south east part of the station, the plane's left wing tip clipped a treetop before it settled to the ground. Sliding and kicking up lots of dust, the big bird came to a stop in the general vicinity of the Station Officer' Quarters and the Group Commander's house. At that point number two engine caught fire as the bomber's crew came tumbling out. Fire fighters and base personnel from Wattisham began making their way toward the scene as the crew was running away from it. The crew made it be known that there were still twenty 250 pound bombs on board the burning aircraft and most everyone headed for cover. The bomb load exploded and the concussion wave knocked everyone down, where they were showered with debris and fragments from the disintegrated B17.”