B-17 42-30610 "Red Ass"

[big ned]

Shadowwolf,

Can you send me the link to some of the relics for sale. I have a few relics from "Red ASS" and a photo of the old girl. She went down on her 4th mission.

Thank you,
Greg

Hi Greg,

I saw on another forum that you had managed to get a pic from a lady (in the States?) of this aircraft. Is there any chance you could put it up here for the chaps to see?

Regards, Ned.

[shadowwolf]

Shadowwolf,

Can you send me the link to some of the relics for sale. I have a few relics from "Red ASS" and a photo of the old girl. She went down on her 4th mission.

Thank you,
Greg

Sure can. Will send you the link in a pm.

If I remember right, this plane came down hitting the top of Cannon Barns farm. The land is close to the main entrance for the Water Works at Hanningfield reservoir.
There is only one barn left of this farm now. The farm used to sit to the right, and behind, the barn. Just rubble now.
Right up until the early 80's you could still find .50 cal rounds in the corner of the field behind the remaining barn.

As the crash site is not far from me, I went up and had a look around last year, couldn't see any sign of debris from the crash. The only item I spotted by an eyes only search was a small piece of Bakelite.

If you want I can try and find the time to go and get some pictures of the crash site for you.

[shadowwolf]

From what I remember of what I was told of the plane crash, Red Ass got into trouble, ditched her bomb load in the Blackwater, and crashed into the farmhouse.
The front of the plane was never found.
The Essex Chronicle newspaper ran a story about the crash site dig. Might be worth contacting them to see if they have the story on record.

This is Essex the web portal for Essex

Rubble from the destroyed farm is marked in red on the photo.

[shadowwolf]

I've asked an Aviation group for any info on contact details for members of the other group, The Southend Historic Aviation Society, who excavated the plane in the 80's.

[shadowwolf]

I've just been given contact details for a member of the group who dug this B17. I've pm'd him and am now waiting a reply.

[b17 rescue]

Ned,

Here is the photo of 42-30610 "Red Ass".

Greg

[shadowwolf]

Hi b17 rescue,
I got my msg back about Red Ass. I have permission to send the complete msg to you, but shall post a selection here:-

"Now the first people to go near the crash site with the aim of excavating it was a group of Chelmsford Policeman......led by one Ivor Dallinger they called themselves The Blue Lamp Group......they recovered many items in the 70's, ...0.50 calibre machine guns....a flying helmet....Flight jackets.....flying boots...ammunition....and a multitude of miscellaneous items.
The group folded and their finds found themselves displayed in the Rebel Air Museum....on the old 9th Army Air Force base of Andrewsfield ....now Great Saling."
"...crew members.
Apparently they all survived the war with the exception of the Navigator who went on to serve on A26 Invaders out of Dunmow.....then Europe and whilst on a mission to Germany the tail was blown off of the Invader and the entire crew were killed.......Red Ass's only claim to fame was the Schweinfurt Raid where she was damaged by flak.....he was virtually a new aircraft so although she was officially named Red Ass no logo was ever painted on her......I'm told simply not enough time......the reason for the crash, an aborted bombing sortie to France and a fire broke out behind the top turret....pilot gave the order to bale out after he had set the controls for automatic pilot......"
"the bomber hit the ground and ripped itself apart.......the tail section falling complete in the next field pretty much untouched."
With regards, Simon.

[crimsonflash3]

Sorry for the highly delayed addition to the conversation -

I was going through a box of old family photos, and there were three photos of the "Screamin' Red Ass" in the box. I'm very curious to know if there was some kind of family (or more likely a family friend) connection. I'm posting some crude iPhone pictures I took of the prints for now - I can post higher quality scans another time. I see that "Eddie" was written onto one of the photos. Here are two of them:

[big ned]

The guy "Eddie" in the first pic seems to be the same one in the lower image, kneeling second from right.

The aircraft is B 17F 42-30340 "Screamin' Red Ass" of the 562nd BS 388th BG. It was lost on the 8th of March 1944 on a mission to the Erkner Ball Bearing Works in the eastern Berlin area. The primary target was not able to be bombed as planned, so they diverted and bombed a factory complex at Wildau, still in the Berlin area. They had had a heavy week, this being their third mission to Berlin in five days.

The aircraft was presumed engaged by fighters outbound from the target and was seen going down with one engine feathered and both wings damaged. A parachute was also observed ( there was one survivor, the right waist gunner).

Here's all the info culled from the mission report, it includes the names of the crew involved, maybe this will help ascertain if one of them is related or known to you.

https://airforce.togetherweserved.co...rson&ID=134800

Regards, Ned.

[shadowwolf]

Hi Greg,
as I may have mentioned earlier I am friends with the bloke who's father recovered Red Ass. He has loads of info on the plane. He uses FaceBook. If you use this form of social media, then I can point you in his direction :-)

Cheers, Simon.