Unidentified B-17 transport flight from Tunisia to the UK in Nov 1943

[cz_raf]

Hi all,

I have found in a Log Book of a RAF PR pilot serving in Tunisia a note of being flown to the UK as a passenger on aircraft he noted as „Fortress II 542“ during 23+24 Nov 1943. The route was: La Marsa – Maison Blanche – Gibraltar – St. Mawgan – Mount Farm
First I was thinking about B-17 delivered to the UK (Fortress II) but I was unable to find any B-17 RAF serial with such number... Then I was able to decode somehow the name of the pilots which I think are: Capt. Larsen + Lt. Jenkins - what made me think it was an USAAF B-17.

So some of my questions:

1) was it normal that a fully operation RAF pilot would be send back to the UK for some reason? As the final destination was the main USAAF PR base there was an idea he might travelled there for some briefing etc as in January 1944 when back with his Squadron relocated to Italy he was frequently used for the recce flights requested by the 5th US Army Intelligence (according to the ORB). The other possibility is that his real destination was RAF Station Benson, the main RAF PR base for some reason...

2) was it normal that an RAF pilot would travel in B-17 belonging to the USAAF?

3) would it be a normal operational aircraft or there were B-17 modified for transport purposes?

4) would it be able to identify the aircraft + unit + pilots from just a short info?

TIA

Pavel