![]() ![]() The B-17 Hell's Angels (41-24577) of the 303rd Bomb Group completed 25 combat missions on, becoming the first to complete the feat, one week before the Memphis Belle. He rejoined Morgan's crew as co-pilot for the flight back to the United States. Verinis was promoted to aircraft commander of another B-17 for his final 16 missions and finished his tour on 13 May. Verinis, who himself piloted the Memphis Belle for one mission. The Memphis Belle was flown back to the United States on 8 June 1943 by a composite crew chosen by the Eighth Air Force, airmen who had flown combat aboard they were led by Capt. – Antwerp, Belgium (in B-17 41-24527, The Great Speckled Bird).4 February 1943 – Emden, Germany (in B-17 DF-H 41-24515 Jersey Bounce).Morgan's crew completed the following missions in B-17s other than the Memphis Belle: * Sources disagree on which two of these three missions the Memphis Belle received mission credits. 31 March 1943 – Rotterdam, Netherlands.22 March 1943 – Wilhelmshaven, Germany.30 December 1942 – Lorient, France (flown by Lt.20 December 1942* – Romilly-sur-Seine, France.The bomber's 25 combat missions, during which eight German aircraft were shot down by its aircrew, were: Morgan's crew flew 25 combat missions with the 324th Bomb Squadron all but four were in the Memphis Belle. Each side of the fuselage bore the unit and aircraft identification markings of a B-17 of the 324th Bomb Squadron (Heavy), with the squadron code "DF" and individual aircraft letter "A". It deployed to Prestwick, Scotland, on 30 September 1942, moving to a temporary base at RAF Kimbolton on 1 October, and then finally to its permanent base at RAF Bassingbourn, England, on 14 October. 41-24485, was added to the USAAF inventory on 15 July 1942, and delivered in September 1942 to the 91st Bombardment Group at Dow Field, Bangor, Maine. The Memphis Belle, a Boeing-built B-17F-10-BO, manufacturer's serial number 3170, USAAC Serial No. All were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. "Bill" WinchellĬombat history The crew back from their 25th operational mission. Right Waist Gunner: Casmer A "Tony" Nastal.The Third Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Harold P.The Second Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Eugene Adkins.The First Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Leviticus "Levy" Dillon.The crew for the Memphis Belle was as follows: Winchell of Oak Park, Ill., waist gunner. Evans of Henderson, Texas, bombardier and Staff Sgt. Nastal of Detroit, Mich., waist gunner Capt. Leighton of Lansing, Mich., navigator Staff Sgt. Verinis, New Haven, Conn., co-pilot Capt. Robert J, Hanson of Walla Walla, Wash., radio operator Capt. Scott of Altoona, Penn., ball turret gunner Tech. Loch of Green Bay, Wis., top turret gunner Staff Sgt. Crew Crew of the Memphis Belle, left to right: Tech. The B-17 used in the 1990 feature film was most recently housed at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York but is currently undergoing extensive maintenance at the Palm Springs Air Museum in California. In 2005 restoration began on the Memphis Belle at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio where, since May 2018, it has been on display. It was one of the first United States Army Air Forces B-17 heavy bombers to complete 25 combat missions, after which the aircrew returned with the bomber to the United States to sell war bonds. The Memphis Belle is a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress used during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress and the 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle. National Museum of the United States Air Force 41-24485, Memphis Belle, 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group, 9 June 1943 Memphis Belleīoeing B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress, AAF Ser. For other uses, including films about the aircraft, see Memphis Belle.
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