I am looking for info on B-17F 42-29589. It crashed in bad weather in Northern NJ on 2/22/44. Near the Delaware water gap area. Near Boyscout camp No-Be-Bo-Sco.
There seems to be a fair bit of info on the crash online. (Unit, crew, serial, etc) Just wondering if anyone has visited the site or was familiar with the case. GPS coordinates?
A few local citizens are interested in erecting a memorial at the site of the crash. The general location of the crash site is known, but they want to be precise.
If the forecast was not calling for snow I'd be marching off into the woods tomorrow.
I've been able to gather a good bit of info on this crash, including some articles from the local paper from when the crash occurred.
The plane crashed into a mountainside in heavy fog. All twelve aboard were killed. One passenger was an RAF navigator. The plane was one of two that was traveling from Bangor main to Fort Dix, NJ.
The Serial is 42-29589, according to Joe Baugher's site the plane was a Boeing B-17F-60-BO Fortress. Can someone please explain what a -60-BO was. (Which factory was it built at, any unique features to this particular model.)
BO means it was built by Boeing in it's Renton plant. Douglas (DL) and Vega (VE) also built B-17s. The -60 is called a block number, meaning it had numerous improvments made to it from the original B-17F model.
Thank you for the info, that is just what I wanted to know.
So would it be correct that the plane was delivered in a standard O.D. over gray paint scheme when new?
Also, according to one website: "According to one report, the words "Up Der Fuhrer!" were painted on the nose cone of the plane" I have not seen anything to verify this, and it sounds a bit "editorialized" to me.
Currently trying to track down a bit of information on the crew and witnesses.
I just wanted to ad an update to this topic. As of this past September I passed along copies of my notes and research to someone from the National Parks Service. It sounds like the idea to install a small memorial near the crash site is moving forward. There are several local citizens still involved with the process so if I hear any news about it beinginstalled I'll be sure to update.
I obtained a copy of the crash report from AAIR. A search through AAIR reveals a ground collision incident in Nov. 43 and a landing incident in Oct. 43.
Also it seems that the nose art "Up der fuhrer" was infact applied to the nose. It can just be made out in a grainy image I came across.
Thank you very much for sharing this with all of us. It is a shame so many of our boys lost their lives right here in just training flights, but it was necessary! R.I.P. Gentlemen!!!
