Identity of UK-bound Fortress at Dorval

[robstitt]

Am trying to confirm the identity of a B-17E/Fortress IIA filmed at Dorval around May 1942 while on delivery to the UK. The Paramount News segment in which the Fortress appears is called 'Ferry Command Rushes Bombers to Britain" and it occurs at the 30:24 mark. The mostly-readable USAAC serial/radio call number on the tail is 1251? Candidates are 12514, 12515 and 12517.

There is a film listed on the IWM site that appears to be a similar or perhaps identical scene in reel two of "Atlantic Ferry":

https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/5422

Wondering if anyone has either film and/or can confirm the USAAC serial number.

Thanks in advance,

Robert Stitt

[Revi16]

Film in your link not available to me.

41-2514/FK185 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2514/

41-2515/FK186 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2515/

41-2517/FK188 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2517/

[robstitt]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, there is only a description of the film the IWM have on their site, per the link. Have contacted them to see if a clip from it might be available.

Robert

[edNorth]

Originally Posted by Revi16

Film in your link not available to me.

41-2514/FK185 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2514/

41-2515/FK186 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2515/

41-2517/FK188 https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/41-2517/

Gross error in the records. 220 SQ had code "NR" in 1942 (not "ZZ") but got them on re-allocation of Unit codes in middle 1944. -Ed

[robstitt]

Adding to Ed’s post, the 220 Sqn code was ‘NR’ at the time of Fortress IIA (B-17E) deliveries in mid-1942 - 206 Sqn Fortresses were marked ‘VX’ - but was only retained until that November when squadron codes were deleted leaving just the individual aircraft letters. For service in the Azores, from October 1943, 220 Sqn aircraft received the squadron identifying number ‘2’ while co-located 206 Sqn Fortresses were marked ‘1’. The 220 Sqn code ‘ZZ’ was only applied to the three Fortress IIIs (B-17G) later in their service in the Azores by which time the squadron’s similarly-marked Liberators were replacing their Fortress IIAs and IIs (B-17Fs).

Robert

[robstitt]

A note on the Source in each entry in Revi16’s post. The embedded link goes to the original Roger Freeman B-17 book on Amazon. The book includes Dave Osborne’s impressive listing of every Fortress, a listing that Dave continued to update after the book was published and which became the quoted B-17 Fortress Master Log. It can be found online as a downloadable document.

Looking at the Master Log, I see the code ‘ZZ’ has been widely applied to 220 Sqn Fortresses, including Fortress Is (B-17Cs) dating back to their transfer from 90 Sgn in February 1942. The only 220 Sqn Fortresses to wear the code ‘ZZ’ were Fortress IIIs HB786, HB791 and HB792.