"I'll Get By" B17

[LaurelReiki]

Does anyone know anything about the B 17 "I'll Get By"?

She was stationed in England and made missions across Germany into Russia and back.

My father, Woody W. Whitecotton was the turret gunner.

Is there any one out there that flew with him?

[TriangleP]

It's important to know which Bomb Group your dad was in. Most of the groups have an active website. You can post your request on the Group website. I Googled "B-17" and "I'll Get By" and the 95th Bomb Group came up ((White) Square B). Lots of B-17s had identical names on them, but this might be a good start.
http://95thbg.org/joomla/index.php
Another 95th BG site
http://95thbg.org/95th_joomla/91st BG

Another source of information is The Mighty Eighth Message Board
http://www.com-web.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.html
Another source is The Mighty Eighth Cross-Reference
http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/
Fred Preller on these sites is very helpful, and he can get you in the right place.

[Richard C Tavenner]

Dear Laurel,

My uncle, Irving D. Chandler (1916-2003), was the pilot of that plane for 34 missions from May 44 until Jan 45.
If your Dad was on "I'll Get By" during that time, then Irv and Woody knew each other.
Irv named it "I'll Get By" after the popular tune of that name.
"I'll Get By" was the lead plane for the last 8 missions.
Each group had 4 squads. Each squad had 12 planes.
8th AF, 1st Bomb Division, 92nd Bombing Group (B in a triangle), 325th Squadron, 40th Bomb Wing (92nd, 305th, 306th.)
Airfield was at Podington, East Anglia.
There are photos of this location on the web. It is now a drag strip.

During one of the later missions they had to land at an emergency strip set up at first land.
They had lost 2 engines on the return leg and lost the 3rd coming up to the channel.
I think it was oil loss and they feathered the engines. That 3rd one may have caught fire.
I think the 4th was failing as they approached the emergency strip.

We have no photos.
But we have a B17 on display in Tucson at the Pima Air Museum,
and one of my fondest memories is sitting in the co-pilot seat
while he sat in the pilot's and talked of the old days.
Irv's widow is alive and I'll ask about your Dad.

Best,

Richard Tavenner
Tucson, AZ

[Richard C Tavenner]

Lauren,

More info.

Go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18532986@N ... 258254733/
for photo of "I'll Get By" with crew in foreground in a jeep.
Now I have a photo.

Also.
Plane's identification: B-17G-40-BO 42-97093.
Known as "Doc's Flying Circus" of the 568th BS/390th BG, Framlingham (early 44).
Know as "Girl of My Dreams" (from June 44),
and as "I'll Get By" (from July 44).

This plane returned to the US on 29 June 1945 having served with the group
since 3 March 1944 and was scrapped December 1945 in Kingman, AZ.

The above info I found on related web sites that came up when I Googled B17 "I'll Get By".
Most of the info in my first post was related to me by my uncle, Irv Chandler.

Richard Tavenner
Tucson

[Richard C Tavenner]

Lauren,

That photo is of a B17 named "I'll Get By"
but its id# is different and it was shot down,
so It's not the same plane.

TriangleP stated many names were duplicated,
so this must be the case here.
The tune was very popular.

So, I still do not have a photo of his plane.

Richard Tavenner
Tucson

[Richard C Tavenner]

Lauren,
My best info is that my uncle flew B-17G-65-BO-43-37559, named "I'll Get By".
He was in the 92nd Bomb Group, the 325th Bomb Squad (NV), plane N.
My aunt does not recognize your father's name.
Some of the crew names: Skip Madigan (navigator), Brownie, and "Ohio"
(tailgunner and only KIA.)
Richard

[susanjensen]

Wow! My Dad is in the picture that you suggested above, he's on the hood of the jeep with the good luck gollywog! Would love to have more information, I have not been to the links you provided , but will visit them. Dad passed away in 1994, Richard W. "Dick" Quick,tail gunner, bombadier! Any additional info or addtional info would be great!

Susan Jensen
Whitefish Mt
jjsgrls@msn.com