looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

Hallo,

I hope someone can help me to the Macr 3557 of B-17 41-24544 (91BG/323BS). It crashed on the 4th of February 1943 into the North sea.

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

The Macr numbering sequences suggests 3557 was very late Mar/early April 1944

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

You can also try Google...

The MACR, or at least part of it, is available there:

http://www.heroesoffreedom.nl/41-24544.pdf

By the way regarding the numbering of MACR, it started in fact in mid-1943 and MACR for former losses were often gathered months or year after the real loss, and so received high numbers. MACR for 1942 ETO losses were often filled after the war, for example, and bear number in the 15 or 16 thousand.

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

Laurent - I agree the statement in principal but suspect this is not such case.. having said that I am finding difficulty in getting 3557. It is possible that a 1943 Macr would have been written up in April 1944 - but 3557 does fit the March 30-April 5, 1944 sequences.

Regards,

Bill

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

I went to a MACR listing someone sent me a long time ago and found actually two MACRs for this airplane.

2/4/1943 41-24544B17F-25-B03557 & 4635891323

It appears that the loss of 41-24544 generated at least two MACRs,

3557 and 4635. They were probably done after the fact since many MACRs were generated by relatives inquiring after their missing son.

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

Hello,
Details in vol 1 of "Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces".
page 72.
B17F-25-BO
41-24544
"OR-L"
"Pennsylvania Polka"
91BG/323BS
MACR 3557 & 4635
T/O Bassingbourn assigned target Hamm, but heavy cloud forced a change of target to the I/A of Emden.
Attacked by fighters, including twin engined ME110's and JU88's for the first time.
On the return flight a/c was last seen shortly after 1240hrs about 12 miles north-west of the western tip Terschelling Island.
Crashed into the North Sea in that area.
None of the bodies were recovered.
Three are commemorated on thhe WOM at Cambridge Cemetery and seven on the WOM Netherlands Cemetery. 10 KIA.
Note;- In November 1952 a Bible belonging to T/Sgt. Wheeler was found in a field at Dortmund-Hacheney by Mrs Maria Hillebrand. The Bible and a flying vest must have been in the possesion of a crew member on B17F 42-5077 also from the 322nd BS which was shot down and crashed due south of Dortmund on 12th August 1943.
42-5077 was "OR-T", "Delta Rebel No 2". 4 KIA, 6 POW.
Alex

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

Guys tanks a lot...good information. I looking on Footnote.com for the Macr 4635
but i can't find him there. I hope some here can help me with it.

Re: looking for Macr 3557 (41-24544)
 

Mystex,
MACRs 4633, 4634 and 4635 are not listed in the report index. Since MACRs were (normally) copied to microfiche with three MACRs per fiche (regardless of how much blank space remained on the fiche), this means that footnote.com (and/or their scanning associates) managed to lose the fiche. I have found a number of such cases. I have never seen them rescan any missing MACRs, so you may have to buy the relevent fiche, or visit NARA II in College Park, Maryland to view the fiche yourself. If the fiche is unreadable you can then ask to see the original.

Frank.