97BG again

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
97th Bomb Group question again.
414 the Bomber Squadron Mission 396 loss on the 3rd December 1944, MACR 12081.
Radio Op. Sgt. Robert B. Kimble - 17136078 bailed out along with four others, who were rescued rescued by Partisans.
A/c serial number so far unknown.

Details given in the USAAFDATA.COM site has the following data for Kimble.
"A/c B17#unknown30".
Where would they have gotten this info from ? Several others have numbers after the "unknown" in their lists.

If this "30" is the last two numbers of the serial then via Dick Drain's book there were the following that ended with "30", they were -
42-3030 assigned April '43, condemned April'44.
42-5230 assigned April '43, to 99BG Nov'43, to 483BG March '44.
44-6630 assigned November '44, MIA 6 November '44.
44-6730 assigned March '45.
44-8730 assigned February '45.
Another was -
41-9030 assigned March '42 to 305BG Nov '43.
Anyone know of any other "30" that served with the 97th BG ?

Alex

[vathra]

No data in Escape statements. I suppose you checked MACR.
BTW, it seems that plane was not lost.

[edwest2]

You can try the National Archives.

https://eservices.archives.gov/order...+Microfilm+MIF

[Frank Olynyk]

Aircraft which lost crewmen during a mission, but actually returned to base, usually do not have the aircraft number in the MACR. To figure it out one usually has to find the corresponding mission report, either at Maxwell AFB, or NARA II, and hope that the serial number can be found there. Heavy bomber mission reports frequently contain crew lists for each aircraft, with either the full serial number, the last three digits of the serial number, or the squadron code number for the aircraft.
Unfortunately this loss falls in MAW7, which I have not started collecting mission reports from NARA II. That process is probably a year or more away.

Enjoy!

Frank.