44-8605 Happy Warrior / Homesick Angel
B-17G-75-VE
October 31, 1944 Delivered to Lincoln
December 15, 1944 to Grenier
December 20, 1944 Assigned to 18th Squadron, 34th Bomb Group, Mendlesham
Lost March 25, 1945
According to Robert L. Steiner, Navigator on the Abrams crew, in a letter dated March 30, 2000, states that this plane was named Happy Warrior. Eddie Croom, one of the gunners, was a pretty accomplished artist and painted Happy Warrior flight jackets for the crew. Steiner eventually donated his flight jacket to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH where
Renamed Homesick Angel sometime after the Abrams crew completed their tour.
According to Les Thompson, CP on the Buchanan crew, before they were assigned to "Tempest Turner" as their regular plane, they flew a ship named "Homesick Angel." "When we came back from a three day pass there was a B-17 scattered all over the field. It was the "Homesick Angel" that had gone in from a near miss with another plane." (From MM, March 1988, p.5) These details fit this plane, flown by the Buchanan crew on March 23, 1945. Their first mission with "Tempest Turner" was March 28th (after the three day pass) and in the meantime, "Homesick Angel" had crashed March 25th with the Bennett crew, all KIA, shortly after take-off for the mission that was recalled almost immediately due to bad weather.
MISSION LIST
Mission #121 February 9, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Raymond Happy Warrior
Mission #122 February 14, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #123 February 15, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #124 February 17, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #125 February 19, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mueller Happy Warrior
Mission #126 February 20, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #127 February 21, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #128 February 22, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #129 February 24, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Raymond Happy Warrior
Mission #130 February 25, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mann Happy Warrior
Mission #131 February 26, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #132 February 27, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #133 March 1, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #134 March 2, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior Initial E/A claims: 1-0-0. Credit 1 damaged to Reo (WG)
Mission #135 March 3, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #136 March 4, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior Leaflets only
Mission #137 March 7, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #138 March 8, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #139 March 10, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Butler
Mission #140 March 11, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #141 March 12, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bolser
Mission #142 March 14, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #143 March 15, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bolser
Mission #144 March 17, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #145 March 18, 1945 44-8605 B/H (scheduled for Bennett but replaced)
Mission #146 March 19, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #147 March 20, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Springer
Mission #148 March 21, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Tigges
Mission #149 March 22, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mann
Mission #150 March 23, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Buchanan Homesick
Angel
Mission #151 March 24, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett Homesick
Angel
MISSION DETAILS
Mission #121 February 9, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Raymond Happy Warrior
Mission #122 February 14, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #123 February 15, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #124 February 17, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #125 February 19, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mueller Happy Warrior
Mission #126 February 20, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #127 February 21, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #128 February 22, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #129 February 24, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Raymond Happy Warrior
Mission #130 February 25, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mann Happy Warrior
Mission #131 February 26, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #132 February 27, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #133 March 1, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #134 March 2, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior Initial E/A claims: 1-0-0. Credit 1 damaged to Reo (WG)
Mission #135 March 3, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #136 March 4, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior Leaflets only
Mission #137 March 7, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Abrams Happy Warrior
Mission #138 March 8, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #139 March 10, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Butler
Mission #140 March 11, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #141 March 12, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bolser
Mission #142 March 14, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #143 March 15, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bolser
Mission #144 March 17, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #145 March 18, 1945 44-8605 B/H (scheduled for Bennett but replaced)
Mission #146 March 19, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett
Mission #147 March 20, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Springer
Mission #148 March 21, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Tigges
Mission #149 March 22, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Mann
Mission #150 March 23, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Buchanan
Homesick Angel
Mission #151 March 24, 1945 44-8605 B/H 18BS Bennett Homesick Angel
March 25, 1945
3rd Air Division units, including the 34BG were recalled shortly after take-off due bad weather and the increasing possibility of adverse conditions upon return. Upon take-off one 34BG plane crashed near the base killing the crew of 9 airmen, according to Freeman, Mighty Eighth War Diary.
B-17G 44-8605 B/H Homesick Angel crashed shortly after take-off for the cancelled mission.
(5 photos in the 26 March 1945 file.)
KIA BENNETT LESTER S JR (P) 1 LT 18 O-767466
KIA KARGER HENRY S (CP) 2 LT 18 O-720082 (listed as dying 3-26-45)
KIA BERTINO LOUIS J (N) 2 LT 18 O-1312870
KIA LEWMAN KENNETH W (Tog) SGT 18 39341658
KIA DILLEY ROGER R (R) T/SGT 18 32924461
KIA PICKETT OCKO P (E) T/SGT 18 36876916
KIA VERMAN RALPH C (BG) SGT 18 16275224
KIA JOHNSON WILLIAM T (WG) S/SGT 18 15140404
KIA KORDAS CHESTER J (TG) SGT 18 20630647
BENNETT LESTER S JR is buried at Cambridge American Cemetery, A-1-26.
JOHNSON WILLIAM T is buried at Cambridge American Cemetery, A-6-16.
From the files of Walter Sturdivan, quoted from MM, September 2004, p. 11. "Lt. Bennett took off in aircraft B-17G 44-8605 at 0601 hours on an operational mission. At 0615 the aircraft was seen to start into a spin and pull out. The tail section broke at Station 5 and the plane spun into the ground and exploded. The pilot is believed to have executed a violent maneuver to avoid collision with another aircraft, inadvertently stalling and starting into a spin. Due to the extremely low altitude, a sharp pullout was attempted causing the aircraft to break in two. The Yellow Squadron aircraft plummeted to earth between the bomb dump and the dispersed planes on the airdrome. After striking the ground, all but one of the bombs exploded. Ordinance personnel later removed said bomb. When the Fire Equipment came on scene there was little that could be done except cover the burning spot fires in the area. The fire fighters returned three times during the day to cover an engine with foam. The entire crew perished."