Quote:
Originally Posted by Alex Smart
Found the answer in B17 Fortress Master Log by Dave Osborne.
Kramer - 41-2529.
Porter - 41-2415.
BUT
Pacific Wrecks has this for Porter's a/c,
41-9212
Alex
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Alex
These early Fortresses are a headache.
If you look at Osborne's list he also says 41-2529 was assigned to 72BS 5BG 8 Aug 1942, that is
two months after he then says it was MIA!
With regard to 41-2415 he (and Roger Freeman) wrote in 1998 that it was w/o 11 May 1944, while now he claims it was delivered to 31BS 5BG at Hickam on 10 Nov 1942 and after that shot down during the BoM 5 June 1942, ie this time a
five month negative discrepancy!
Looking at 41-9212 Osborne said in 1998 it was w/o 8 Aug 1942 and he has not changed his mind on his present list
I also checked what the Aviation Archeology site had to say with regard to the date 5 June 1942 and the only loss listed is 41-2661 from 31BS 5BG which had a cat 5 incident when it force landed with engine failure (being out of gas) at Lanai Island, Hawaii. In spite of the initial terminal report, it was (according to Osborne) repaired and put back in service by late July.
Much of these discepancies are no doubt to be found in badly kept records (not to mention incredibly sloppily hand written record cards by totally non-dedicated clerks), misleading reports, faulty/mistaken entries etc etc. Some record cards are beyond belief....
If you ever (for example) come across what a friend of mine calls the "Clark Field mess" you will know what I am talking about....
Cheers
Stig