Aircraft: 2102977 |
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NAMES: |
Traps |
PILOTS: |
N/A N/A
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MACR: | SQUADRONS: | 349 XR-L |
NOTES
TrapsHISTORY
1944-04-25 Accepted into inventory1944-04-25 Cheyenne
1944-04-07 Keaney
1944-07-29 Dow
1944-05-22 Assigned to UK
1944-07-17 RFO - crash landed - Friston
1944-07-17 TOA - Leiston - Capt Joseph Trapnell, Jr.
1944-07-19 Salvaged
0000-00-00
0000-00-00
0000-00-00
1944-07-19 Salvaged
Pilot Info
Crew: N/A
Related Info: : N/A, N/A
Comments
Diary of 2nd Lt. Charles J. Mellis, Jr. Co-pilot, 603rd Squadron 398th Bomb Group. Flew plan over from States May 13, 1944 – Saturday Left Sioux City around 8 p.m. by troop sleeper. May 14, 1944 – Sunday Arrived in Kearney, Nebraska. May 15 & 16, 1944 – Monday & Tuesday Processing. May 17, 1944 – Wednesday Calibration mission. [Pilot Log entry] Mission: Local at Kearney, Nebr. Aircraft: B-17G #42-102977 Time: 3 hours May 19, 1944 – Friday Scheduled to leave at 0130, but flight was scrubbed due to bad thunderstorms enroute. May 20, 1944 – Saturday Took off about 0115. Thunderstorms persisted along route; altered course to South to miss storm centers, but still got extreme turbulence. Flew about 1_ hours in the soup with extreme turbulence. Got back on course & broke out about daylight. Flight over New York & New England was beautiful – “George” did the flying, & a lovely time was had by all – after daylight. Arrived at Bangor, Maine about noon, processed, & slept. [Pilot Log entry] Mission: Kearney, Nebr. to Bangor, Me. Aircraft: B-17G #42-102977 Time: 10 hours May 21, 1944 – Sunday Took off from Bangor about 11 a.m. local time. Very nice, uneventful 5 hour hop to Gander Field, Newfoundland. [Pilot Log entry] Mission: Bangor, Me. to Gander Field, Newfoundland Aircraft: B-17G #42-102977 Time: 5 hours 15 minutes May 22, 1944 – Monday Spent all day at Gander while they repaired some navigational equipment. Never expected they’d get it fixed in one day, but they did, & we took off about 8 p.m. local time – 11 p.m. GMT. Climbed thru the soup and flew on top at 17,000’ for 4 hours. May 23, 1944 – Tuesday It was rather cold at 17,000’ – we were glad to get down to 7,000’ shortly after daybreak. We still had an undercast & didn’t see the ocean more than a half hour all told. Landed at Prestwick, Scotland about 11 a.m. GMT – 1 p.m. British War Time. Spent the day there & boarded troop train about 11 p.m. [Pilot Log entry] Mission: Gander Field, Newfoundland to Prestwick, Scotland Aircraft: B-17G #42-102977 Time: 11 hours Remarks: Trans-Atlantic flight
PHOTOS:

100th Strike photo taken from TRAPS,. courtesy of Capt Tong