41-2578 Butcher Shop/ Big Tin Bird
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FRE 5781
A B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-2578) nicknamed "Butcher Shop" of the 92nd Bomb Group at Bovingdon. Written on slide casing: 'B-17 E 12578 Oldest fortress in 8AF Bovingdon, 1943.'
Roger Freeman Collection
IWM, Roger Freeman Collection
Boeing B-17E
41-2578
Butcher Shop (97BG)/Big Tin Bird (20FG)
Pendleton, Oregon – 18 February 1942
Polebook, England (340BS/97BG) – April 1942
Bovingdon, England (326BS/92BG) – 25 August 1942
Glatton, England (457BG) – 3 March 1944
Kings Cliffe, England (77FS/20FG) – 3 August 1944
Alconbury, England (Salvaged) – 6 August 1945
Lead bomber of first strike force on VIII Bomber Command Mission 1 (17 August 1942).
Squadron hack for Colonel Cy Wilson (CO 20FG).
Oldest Boeing B-17 in the 8AF at war’s end.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Twelfth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 97th Bomb Group
- Service Numbers: O-17459
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant General
- Role/Job: Pilot / Commanding Officer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 97th Bomb Group 340th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-361713
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 20th Fighter Group 55th Fighter Squadron 77th Fighter Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-21538
- Highest Rank: Colonel
- Role/Job: Fighter Pilot Squadron/Group Commander
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Connington
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Kingscliffe, Apethorpe
- Site type: Airfield
Missions
- Date: 17 August 1942
- Official Description:
Revisions
ContributorLee8thbuff
Changes
Sources
Lee Cunningham 20-Oct-2014 "Mighty Eighth War Diary" Roger A. Freeman.