Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-45-DL Fortress

12th Air Force WWII

414th SQUADRON PLANES 1944-1945

Site Edited and Maintained by Doug Cook Last update Feb 18, 2010

Contacts from 97^th BG and 414^th Squadron Welcome!

Wing markings for the 97th BG (circa 1943-44?)....the vertical stabilizer was painted green with diagonal red stripes on the rudder, and had a triangle "Y" on the Vertical Stabilizer with a circle with a number inside, 0 for the 340th, 1 for the 341st, 2 for the 342nd and 4 for the 414th. All 6 B17 Groups in the 5th Wing used the "Y" as a designator......the 2nd BG was the circle "Y"..the 97th BG was the Triangle "Y"..the 99th BG was the Diamond "Y". the 301st BG was the Square "Y", the 463rd BG was the Pie Shaped "Y" and the 483rd was the plain "Y" with a star under the "Y”. (Corrections credited to John Keegan)

97th BG 414^th BS #46334 8-15-44 Southern France, 9-17-44 Budapest

97th BG 414^th BS #46334

97th BG 414^th BS #48248 “Dottie”

Crashed in Switzerland Feb 27, 1945

Read the account!!

Pilot:                  George, L. Albin, Maj - became a P.O.W
Copilot:             John B. Campbell, Maj - became a P.O.W
Navigator:        Billy F. Bolton, Cpt - became a P.O.W
Navigator:         Alvin F. Smith, 1st Lt - became a P.O.W
Bombardier:    Robert M. Martin, 1st Lt - became a P.O.W
Engineer:           Paul E. Culley, S/Sgt - became a P.O.W
Radio:                 Harold C. Isaacson, S/Sgt - became a P.O.W
Waist Gunner: William D. Beavers, Jr., S/Sgt - became a P.O.W
Waist Gunner: Roy Zermeno, S/Sgt - became a P.O.W
Tail Gunner:    Richard L. Adkins, S/Sgt – whereabouts unknown

97th BG 414^th BS #48855

97th BG 414^th BS #4------

97th BG 414^th BS over Austria

97th BG 414^th BS over Yugoslavia

97th BG 414^th BS #48855 over Yugoslavia

97th BG 414^th BS #446544

97th BG 414^th BS #46273

97th BG Fighter Escort

97th BG P-51Fighter Escort

97th BG Bomb Run Romania

Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-45-DL Fortress

44-6197 (97th BG, 414th BS) lost Jul 22, 1944.  MACR 6855

Douglas/Long Beach B-17G-50-DL Fortress

44-6270 (97th BG, 414th BS) lost Jul 16, 1944, Austria.  MACR 6961

Lockheed/Vega B-17G-45-VE Fortress

44-8004 (97th BG, 414th BS) lost Oct 14, 1944.  MACR 9592

Lockheed/Vega B-17G-55-VE Fortress

44-8248 (97th BG, 414th BS, *Mickey*) crashed in Switzerland Feb 27, 1945

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