B-17G/time team dig photos please

[s1chris]

Hello all,

Does anybody have any pictures of the B-17G serial- 42-37963 which was flying with 385th BG, 540squadron? Crashed in mid air collision into Reedham Marshes and was featured in a time team dig (1999 iirc). Would be interested mainly in colour scheme and any squadron codes etc.

Cheers Chris

 

[Wurger]

The source ... IN MEMORY B17G # 42-37963 2-21-44

B-17G 42-37963 385th Bombardment Group of the US 8th Air Force. On 21 February 1944 Lieutenant Warren J. Pease was piloting his Flying Fortress back to the 385th's base at Great Ashfield when he apparently lost control in cloud. He collided with another Fortress in the formation and both aircraft crashed into the marshes at Reedham. We found some of the wreckage.

a/c model: B-17G
Serial number: 42-37963
Tail marking: O
Name of a/c: Sleepy Time Gal
Assigned to squadron: 549
Assignment from 1943-11-24
Assigned until 1944-02-21
A/c last flown by Pilot / Crew: Peace
What happened to this a/c: Mid air collision with 231370, crash landing in England, salvaged .

 

[s1chris]

Thanks Wurger, really need to get an idea of what it would of looked like. Any pictured of other 385th BG aircraft around the same time ?


Cheers Chris

 

[Poor Old Spike]

This is a blurry still from the Time Team prog; the planes that collided are the one in the foreground and the one at top left.
They've all got a 'G' on the tail which presumably indicates 385 BG, but whoever made the animation put no other markings of any kind on the ships-

Some 385 BG/549 Sq kites-

Full Time Team show-
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4uvPUlpFzo

 

[s1chris]

Thanks Poor Old Spike, I managed to find the call sign which was "O" and also found out that the prop spinners were painted yellow. So with that info only I had it modelled to display with my relics -

Cheers Chris

 

[Wurger]

 

[Ronnie Radke]

I have the complete right waist gun from this airplane in amazing condition which belonged to Sgt Gail F Bruner recovered from the wreck, when stripped the barrel has the armorers ID of the plane dot punched on it 963 RW. There was a lot of cool stuff came out of that water filled hole!

 

[HamishL]

Hello all,

Does anybody have any pictures of the B-17G serial- 42-37963 which was flying with 385th BG, 540squadron? Crashed in mid air collision into Reedham Marshes and was featured in a time team dig (1999 iirc). Would be interested mainly in colour scheme and any squadron codes etc.

Cheers Chris

Hi Chris,
Better late than never...
Oddly enough, I've just discovered two colour photographs of a B-17 bearing that serial number amongst my grandfather's WWII photographs. Here's a link.
I'm fairly certain the image in the link was taken postwar in 1946 at an airshow, possibly at an airbase in the USA, which doesn't fit with the mid-air collision story. My grandfather was stationed for a few months in England from early 1945.

EDIT: Actually, further study reveals I'm wrong on several counts, but the dates still don't make sense. Judging from the Austin 8AP Tourer car in the image, this was taken in England. The date of the photograph was very likely between March-May 1944, as my grandfather arrived in England on about 25/02/1944 and probably wasn't in a position to go sightseeing at airfields for at least a few weeks.
I still don't know how this could be the same aircraft that crashed earlier that year though...