42-37864 Marty

media-56045.jpeg UPL 56045 The crew at Rattlesden, sometime
after February 1944 when original
pilot Lt. William McKay left the crew.
Dean Flemming became 1st pilot, and
Lt. Lloyd Ittel joined the crew as co-pilot.

Standing L-R:
Lt. Joseph T. Elliot, B
Lt. Carl F. McQuen, N
Lt. Dean S. Flemming, P
Lt. Lloyd D. Ittel, CP

Kneeling, L-R:
Sgt. WIlliam Shaw, ENG
Sgt. Sidney Stein, ROG
Sgt. Andrew Leydens, BTG
Sgt. William Plascocello, WG
Sgt. Leslie Orr, TG
(not shown: Sgt. Anthony Durante, WG)

Object Number - UPL 56045 - The crew at Rattlesden, sometime after February 1944 when original pilot Lt. William McKay left the crew. Dean Flemming became 1st pilot, and...

Delivered Denver 25/10/43; Harvard 29/10/43; Assigned 709BS/447BG [IE-K] Rattlesden 21/11/43. Assigned Aircraft of the Flemming Crew until their tour was completed in early May 1944. Missing in Action on the 20 May 1944 mission to Brussels. Pilot Charles R. Mitchell, Co-pilot Edward H. Frost, Flight engineer/Top Turret gunner Andrew A. Marcin, Ball Turret gunner Eugene P. Szulczewski, Left Waist gunner Robert E. Sasse, Right Waist gunner: Richard J. Kindig, Tail gunner Raymond F. McCarthy (7 evaded capture). Navigator Joseph G. Keenan, Bombardier Leo D. McLaughlin, Radio Operator Paul D. Dickerson (3 Prisoners of War). Actually hit by friendly fire from another 447BG B-17, crashed Neerbeek-Beek, about 15km NE of Maastricht, The Netherlands. Missing Air Crew Report - MACR 4938.

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 447th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 35201269
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32473254
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11027889 at enlistment, then O-752054
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16037453 at enlistment, then O-568222
  • Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Co-Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 447th Bomb Group 709th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11079815
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant (3rd Grade)
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner

Places

Missions

Events

Event Location Date Description

Other

Failed to Return (FTR)

Neerbeek-Beek, Holland 20 May 1944 crashed Neerbeek-Beek, about 15km NE of Maastricht, The Netherlands

Revisions

Date
ContributorRoss Smith
Changes
Date
ContributorGliderguy
Changes
Sources

Updated by Dana Flemming 9/12/2020

Date
ContributorGliderguy
Changes
Sources

Update 9/12/2020 by Dana Flemming based on information provided by Chris French. (BombN'Belle was B-17F 42-3487)

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

MACR 4938

Date
ContributorY-44
Changes
Sources

Dear Sir/Mrs.

My name is Ruud de Rooy, born on 22-8-1963 in Neerbeek , which is a village belonging to the city of Beek, indeed 7 miles NE of Maastricht.

My father as a kid between 8 and 13 years during WW2 witnessed the frequent air-raids of allied planes into Nazi Germany crossing the air also above the town of Beek, Netherlands. I remember he also told us about the crashes of 2 B17's occurred: 42-29971 in Beek during 1943 and 42-37864 in the small village Neerbeek. I inherited his interest in everything about WW2, especially the American involvement, and the stories of US men and women who sacrificed their young lives for our liberty. The numbers I got from a fellow citizen in Beek R.H.M. Göttgens who did a fantastic job and a lot of historic investigation himself recently on these two events in our local community. Please see his contribution (in Dutch): http://www.beeksverleden.nl/download/b-17_crash_in_neerbeek.pdf.
The edits I made to your text above are typo's of the names of the locations, making it easier for people interested to find the locations of the crash sites. Additionally the nick name of 42-37864 appears to be Marty according to http://www.447bg.com/Aircraft%20Page%202.htm. I added the name Marty above, is it possible that the nick names changed during the use?

I hope my comments/edits are of any value.

Sincerely,

Ruud

Date
ContributorYorkshireman
Changes
Sources

Hutchinson & Cortright

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Dave Osborne, B-17 Fortress Master Log / MACR 4938 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

42-37864: Gallery (4 items)