B-17G "BXH" at Albertus Airport, Illinois, June 1947

[Chris Brame]

2) May 8, 1946 The Redwood Falls, Minnesota Junior Chamber of Commerce voted to purchase a B-17 for the high school for educational purposes. The cost will be $350. (It was flown from Walnut Ridge, Arkansas on Sunday, May 26th by Kenneth Cook, a former 8th Air Force bomber pilot with 45 missions in England.)

The Newspapers site doesn't have much more than that; the Classmates site doesn't have the '46 or '47 Redwood Falls High yearbooks (none between 1915 and 1951), so the school itself and the library may be the next possible sources.

Re "BXH": I see 42-38193 has been listed as carrying those codes as well, but the only photo I found shows it as OD/NG - it did end up at Kingman after South Plains.

[aerovin2]

another thought

The original article mentions two interesting points that the aircraft was manufactured in 1944 and Radar equipment.

This points to a 44-8??? serial number ship.... A lot of this block was modified to PFF roles.

Looking through the Foreman (oops...edit...Freeman) book, four serials are candidates as not being identified with fuselage codes but having served in the 338th BS and going to Walnut Ridge: 42-97758; 44-8370; 44-8555; 44-8911.

[jmkendall]

I think 44-8911 is the best fit. 5G was transferred in May of 45 to the 388th. 911 was transfered to the 338th on March 21st of 1945. From what I can see she was the last one transfered in. In June 5G and at least one other ship were flown back to CONUS.

[Chris Brame]

Is this one listed in the Foreman book? It's in a photo album on eBay right now:

B-17G 44-6992 BXE-01.jpg

At least it ties up another serial and code: 44-6992 and BX-E.

[terveurn]

Fro bits and pieces

46992 96
08 01 45 AI 26 03 45 AOS 28 05 45 G 351BG
30 10 46 SAL 9AF


Did not make it home

44-6992 Card small.jpg

[aerovin2]

Freeman shows 44-6992 assigned to 482 BG on 4/1/45; then to 351 BG on 5/10/45; then to 96 BG on 5/28/45. No indication in the Foreman book of BX-E; strange it was apparently fully marked in 96 BG markings after the war ended. Possible errors there, but Freeman also records as salvaged by 9th AF on 11/6/46.

[terveurn]

Freeman shows 44-6992 assigned to 482 BG on 4/1/45; then to 351 BG on 5/10/45; then to 96 BG on 5/28/45. No indication in the Foreman book of BX-E; strange it was apparently fully marked in 96 BG markings after the war ended. Possible errors there, but Freeman also records as salvaged by 9th AF on 11/6/46.

Freeman is wonky on his group assignments......

Found after doing over 3,000 cards that somehow Osborne found a master list of where the aircraft were projected to goto and not actually assigned.

A lot of aircraft in his listing show aircraft assigned to groups while the ships were still in the ZOI and before they had been through the 2 SAD modifications. I found it simpler and cleaner to ignore these projected speculation as in 99% of cases, they were wrong (ie the groups projected never received these ships).

So did this B-17 ever part of the 486th BG, doubtful. now was she part of the 351st BG ? That would be a maybe -- the 451st BG did receive a bunch of H2S B-17's from this block late in the war (ie Pink Lady is a clear example).

This photo plus the accident (?) show clear proof of her being assigned to the 96th BG before the group returned to the ZOI but like a lot of H2S ships was transferred to the occupying 9th AF.

[aerovin2]

After a bit more research and some conjecture, I think when we finally identify the Albertus B-17G, it will be one of the following: 42-97758, 44-8370, 44-8555, 44-8911. I'd put my money on 44-8911, but any of the four are good candidates.

Couple things of note:

All four of the above, plus 5 Grand, participated in Operation Chowhound in early May 1945. No known BX markings for these four B-17s.
5 Grand went home in late May 1945.

At least 44-8911 and possibly the other three B-17s remained with the 338 BS, 96th BG probably through October 1945 when the group returned to the U.S. It continued to fly operational support missions from Snetterton between May and October.

All four of the above B-17s went to Walnut Ridge.

Conjecture only: after 5 Grand left in late May, the remaining 338th BS squadrons were re-marked and one remaining aircraft became BXH.

Freeman/Osborne shows 44-8911 coming (as a new B-17G) to the 338th BS on 3/21/45. Last mission flown by the 96th BG was on 4/21/45. Not known yet is whether 44-8911 every flew an actual mission or if it remained in a replacement pool until Operation Chowhound.

[Yoko9755]

Hmmm...interesting:

96th BG, 338 BS used the "BX" code and here is one similarly marked:



Interesting that 5-Grand was BX-H and similarly marked, but obviously this is not 5-Grand.

Hello, I made an account on this website just to reply to this thread. My Great-Grandfather was in the Canadian Infantry, and spent time in Holland during the war. He took a good number of photographs, and this same aircraft was one of them. My Great-Grandfather wrote that it was in Niew Milligen, Holland, and seemingly mistakenly recorded it as a "B22 Flying Fortress". I do not know how much these will help your discussion, but I hope the photos will be of some use to this community.

[jmkendall]

Thank you Yoko9755, for the photographs, they were very much appreciated. As would any other pics of B-17s your Grandfather might have taken!