Boeing Flying Fortress

s/n 9202

m/d B-17F/299P

c/n 8096

Douglas

9202

Ex USAAF B-17F-30-DL, serial number 42-3160. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Mk. IIIA designation was unofficial. Taken on strength on 6 December 1943. Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe and North Africa. Scheduled for first trans-Atlantic mission on 14 December 1943, went u/s and replaced by 9204. Flew first mission on 22 December 1943. Fitted with flip down metal nose cone. Flew load of penicillin to Prestwick on 19 October 1945, for delivery on to Warsaw by RCAF Dakota. Probably first example of Canadian foreign aid being delivered by military aircraft. Left Ottawa for Prestwick with another load on 31 October 1945. Crashed on Haller Egge, Eggerberg (near Muenster, Germany) at 13:30 local time on 4 November 1945, struck trees on high ground flying below bad weather en route to Poland with another load of medical supplies. Crew is commemorated on plaques in Warsaw and Ottawa.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n 9203

m/d B-17F/299P

c/n 6397

Lockheed-Vega

9203

Ex USAAF B-17F-45-VE, serial number 42-6101. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Taken on strength on 6 December 1943. Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe and Africa. First squadron trip to Egypt completed on 3 January 1944. Lost at sea between Morocco and Azores with 5 crew and 3 passengers, only a few mail bags ever found.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n 9204

m/d B-17F/299P

c/n 8305

Douglas

9204

Ex USAAF B-17F-50-DL, serial number 42-3369. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe. Flew first scheduled trans-Atlantic mission by this unit, leaving Rockcliffe on 15 December 1943. Weathered in at Dorval until 17 December, at Gander until 20 December, reached UK the same day. Carried 2 passengers and 5,502 pounds of mail. Category C accident at RCAF Station Rockcliffe on 17 Sept 1944.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n 9205

m/d B-17E/299O

c/n 2614

Boeing

9205

EX USAAF B-17E-BO, serial number 41-9142. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Also reported as Mk. IIA, both designations probably unofficial. Quote from RCAF receiving report: "very dilapidated, all the parts being badly worn". Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe. Extensive damage 23 January 1944, in mid air collision with Wellington (probably JA268), between Prestwick and Gibraltar, losing 2 engines. Damage to nose, wings, and tail. Mail jettisoned, returned to the UK, crew received four AFCs and one Air Medal. Nose replaced with fabric fairing, later fitted with flip down metal nose cone. To Gibraltar, via Azores, June 1944. Gear up landing on 19 November 1944 at Rockcliffe. Category C damage at the Azores, 6 April 1945. Carried A/C Plant from Rockcliffe to Sea Island in October 1945. Carried penicillin to Warsaw, leaving Ottawa on 16 November 1945. Flew Vancouver to Rockcliffe non-stop in 7 hours, 26 minutes on 16 January 1946. Transferred to No. 9 (T) Group in April 1946, used briefly for search and rescue by No. 412 (T) Squadron. On standby for Exercise Musk Ox in April and May 1946, while with this unit. Flew to the UK in May 1946, delivering experienced 168 Squadron crews to brief returning Dakota crews on flying the North Atlantic. Sold, to Argentine civil register as LC-RTP, used to carry beef. Reported scrapped in 1964.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n 9206

m/d B-17E/299O

c/n 2249

Boeing

9206

Ex USAAF B-17E-BO, serial number 41-2438. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Taken on strength on 21 December 1943. Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe. Fitted with flip down metal nose cone. By end of the war in natural metal finish, coded "QB". Sold, to Argentine civil register as LC-RTO, used to carry beef. Reported scrapped in 1964.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n 9207

m/d B-17E/299O

c/n 2392

Boeing

9207

Ex USAAF B-17E-BO, serial number 41-2581. Ordered on Purchase Order CA 000115. Taken on strength on 2 February 1944. Used by No. 168 Heavy Transport Squadron, Rockcliffe, for mail flights to Europe. Seen to climb steeply and stall and spin under full power, shortly after take off from Prestwick for Canada, on 2 April 1944. Destroyed by post impact fire, 5 fatalities. No official cause of crash found, but report theorizes that cargo shifted in flight shortly after take off. Aircraft did not have final version of RCAF developed mail restraints installed.
last update: 2025-February-09 📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 353

s/n AN522

m/d 299T

c/n 2054

Boeing

AN 522

Was USAAF B-17C s/n 40-2053. Returned to Boeing for resale to UK; contract signed Jan41. Norden bombsight removed and Sperry auto-pilot installed. Atlantic Ferry Organization (ATFERO), Dorval, Montreal, Canada. Used by ATFERO for training at McChord Field, Tacoma, WA. Delivered to Royal Air Force Apr41 as Fortress Mark I, serial AN522 [initially marked incorrectly as AM522] at Portland, OR [to avoid higher WA Sales Tax]. Ferried to Boise, ID Apr41, to Cheyenne, WY Apr 1941 and to Patterson Field, Dayton, OH Apr41. Ferried to Wright Field, OH 5 May 1941 for painting and installation of self-sealing fuel tanks. Ferried to Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island, NY May 1941 for preparation for delivery flight to England. Ferried to RCAF Gander, Newfoundland. Ferried RCAF Gander, Newfoundland to Heathfield, Ayr, Scotland 14/15 May 1941. No.90 Squadron [WP-J], RAF Watton, Norfolk 3 May 1941. RAF West Raynham, Norfolk 15May41. On 22nd June 1941 the aircraft departed from RAF Great Massingham flying the short distance to West Raynham to pick up passengers and crew for the test flight. Then took off from West Raynham, the purpose of the flight was to allow physiological research and tests to be done at high altitude. On board alongside the crew of five airmen were two senior medical officers in the rear of the aircraft and a further qualified pilot who was to take temperature readings in the cockpit cabin. The aircraft was to fly at an altitude of 30,000ft so that a problem resulting in oxygen masks freezing was to be investigated and an assessment of the energy used by air gunners while in combat was also to be monitored. An hour after taking off and while flying between 30,000 and 31,000ft the aircraft entered a large cumulonimbus cloud. The temperature in the aircraft was estimated to have dropped by some 20 degrees and pieces of ice began to enter through the open rear gun ports. After around a minute of flying in these conditions the aircraft entered a steep and high-speed dive after control was lost while flying in this very turbulent weather. The pilot was able to regain some control briefly and was able to begin to pull out of the dive but before the aircraft fully pulled out of the dive the forces on the airframe were too great and the port wing spar failed at around 25,000ft. The port wing broke off at around the port outer engine nacelle and this was followed by the disintegration of the aircraft in the air. None of the six crew in the front of the aircraft stood any chance with none able to attempt to abandon the aircraft because of the forces involved and they went down with the aircraft. The two medical officers in the rear of the aircraft had both been able to reach their parachutes and clip them onto their harnesses, one of these officers became wedged by the port guns and although the other man was able to free him he then abandoned the aircraft through the starboard gun port and landed safely. The other medical officer remained unable to get himself clear of the aircraft and he also went down with the aircraft. Because of the height this aircraft broke up and the wreckage was spread over a wide area from the region of Catterick racecourse in the south-west and extended to some six miles north-east of Catterick Bridge. The port wing section was found towards the north-east end of the trail while much of the cockpit section, the engines and most of the fuselage were found nearer the south-west end. Part of a wing section was found resting against the rear of the Farmers Arms pub at Catterick Bridge and further fragments of the aircraft were in the fields beyond this pub. It is likely that a restricted oxygen supply caused by freezing at altitude caused the pilot to lose control (7KIA:1RTD). Salvaged 9 Jul 1941. At the time of the accident it had flown a total of 66 hours. First B-17 lost in WWII. The second pilot was 1st Lt Follett Bradley Jnr, USAAC who became the first American casualty of WWII. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n AN525

m/d 299T

c/n 2058

Boeing

AN 525

Was USAAF B-17C s/n 40-2057. Returned to Boeing for resale to UK; contract signed Jan41. Norden bombsight removed and Sperry auto-pilot installed. Atlantic Ferry Organization (ATFERO), Dorval, Montreal, Canada. Used by ATFERO for training at McChord Field, Tacoma, WA. Delivered to Royal Air Force as Fortress Mark I, serial AN525 [initially marked incorrectly as AM525] at Portland, OR [to avoid higher WA Sales Tax]. Wright Field, Dayton, OH for painting and installation of self-sealing fuel tanks. Floyd Bennett Field, Long Island, NY for preparation for delivery flight to England. Ferried RCAF Gander, Newfoundland to Heathfield, Ayr, Scotland 26/27 May 1941. No.90 Squadron [WP-D], RAF Polebrook, Oundle 21Aug41. Failed to return from a mission to the German cruiser Admiral Scheer in Oslo harbour, Norway 8 Sep 1941. Damaged by two Bf 109T-2’s flown by Jacobi and Steinicke of 13./JG.77, but shot one of them down first, the bomber, on fire, went on to crash in mountainous country, Norway. Crew buried in Bygland churchyard, Otra Valley, 100 miles north of Kristiansand, Norway. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FA698

m/d 299P

c/n 3282

Boeing

FA 698

Was USAAF B-17F-27-BO s/n 41-24597. Loan to Royal Air Force as Fortress Mark II, serial FA698 at Dorval, Montreal 14 Nov 1942. No.45 Group, Ferry Command, Dorval, Montreal. Ferried on the North Atlantic route; Gander, Newfoundland to RAF Prestwick, Ayr, Scotland 23 Nov 1942. No.22 Elementary Flying Training School, Hamble, Hants 29 Jan 1943. No.59 Squadron [V], RAF Chivenor, Devon 6 Feb 1943. Accident returning from an anti-submarine patrol over the Bay of Biscay 26 Mar 43 (3KIA:4INJ). The pilot failed to carry out a full and correct Blind Approach Beam System (BABS) procedure and had begun his decent outside the centreline of the beam in low cloud, at night and at the end of a ten hour patrol. The aircraft crashed into a hill at Luscott Barton, Braunton, Devon. Salvaged 31 Mar 1943. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FA705

m/d 299P

c/n 3613

Boeing

FA 705

Ex USAAF B-17F 42-5074. No.206 Squadron [2-O], Lajes Field, Terceira Island, Azores 8 Nov 43. Missing on patrol off Lajes Field, Terceira Island, Azores 6 Jan 1944, shot down by submarine U-470 (9KIA). SOC 31 Jan 1944 at 343.35 flying hours. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FK202

m/d 299O

c/n 2610

Boeing

FK 202

ex USAAF B-17E 41-9138. Long Range Air to Surface Vessel (LRASV) radar trials 7 Jul 1942. With 220 Squadron. Failed to return from a submarine sweep, crashed at sea 500 miles southwest Terceira, Azores 25 Oct 1943. SOC 8 Nov 1943 at 281.05 flying hours. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FK206

m/d 299O

c/n 2674

Boeing

FK 206

ex USAAF B-17E 41-9202. No.220 Squadron. Ferried to St. Mawgan (Station 512), Cornwall then on to Lajes Field, Terceira Island, Azores 9 Oct 1943. Detailed for a submarine patrol 4 Dec 1943, the first aircraft to lift off the new PSP runway, the aircraft crashed into the sea after takeoff from Lajes Field, Terceira Island, Azores. Three bodies found, two Canadian and one Australian, who were buried in Lajes War Cemetery. SOC 31 Dec 1943. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FK209

m/d 299O

c/n 2675

Boeing

FK 209

ex USAAF B-17E 41-9203. With 59 Squadron. Missing with an all Canadian crew on an anti-submarine patrol over the North Atlantic 23 Mar 1943. Shot down over Bay of Biscay by a Ju 88C flown by Oblt Hermann Horstmann of 13/KG 40 (8KIA). SOC 31 Mar 1943. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n FK212

m/d 299O

c/n 2709

Boeing

FK 212

ex USAAF B-17E 41-9237. No.220 Squadron [NR-V], RAF Ballykelly, Northern Ireland 31 July 1942. RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland Feb 1943. RAF Benbecula, Outer Hebrides, Scotland 23 Mar 1943. Missing on "Musketry 3" patrol 14 Jun 1943. Attacked and shot down over the Bay of Biscay by Ju 88C flown by Lt Lothar Wolff of 15/KG 40 (9KIA). SOC at 602.10 flying hours. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n HB763

c/n 7573

Boeing

HB 763

Was USAAF B-17G-40-BO s/n 42-97100. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-T]. No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 7Jun44. Used for radio counter measures. Failed to return from a radio counter measures mission to Rüsselsheim am Main, Germany 25/26 Aug 1944 (6POW:4KIA). Shot down by German night hunter Uffz Egon Engling of NJG2, crashed at Ober-Ramstadt, SE of Darmstadt, Germany. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n HB785

c/n 7938

Boeing

HB 785

Was USAAF B-17G-50-BO s/n 42-102436. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-A], No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Norfolk. Used for radio counter measures. Failed to return from a "Jostle" bomber support mission to the Braunkohle Benzin AG synthetic oil refinery at Leipzig, Germany 21Mar45 (10KIA - RAF/RCAF). Shot down by German night hunter Fw. Helmut Burkhard of 1./NJG 5, the bomber crashed at Sulzbach, 5km ESE from Grossostheim, Germany. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n HB787

c/n 7940

Boeing

HB 787

Was USAAF B-17G-50-BO s/n 42-102438. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-J], No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 31Jul44. Used for radio counter measures. Crashed on return from a radio counter measures mission to the Opel motor factory at Rüsselsheim am Main 16 Nov 1944. Approaching base the bomber crashed and was destroyed by fire in a field of wheat stubble one mile south of RAF Foulsham, Norfolk (10KIA - RAF/RCAF/RNZAF). https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n HB788

c/n 7941

Boeing

HB 788

Was USAAF B-17G-50-BO s/n 42-102439. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-B], No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 10 Aug 1944. Used for radio counter measures. Shot down on a radio counter measures "Jostle" mission to attack the Mittelland Canal where it crossed the River Aa at Gravenhorst, Germany 7 Nov 1944 (10 KIA - RAF/RCAF/RAAF). https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n KJ103

c/n 7736

Lockheed-Vega

KJ 103

ex USAAF B-17G-60-VE s/n 44-8336. Delivered to Royal Air Force as Fortress Mark III, serial KJ103 at Dorval, Montreal 13 Aug 1944. No.45 Group, Transport Command, Dorval, Montreal 22 Aug 1944. Ferried to RAF Prestwick, Ayr, Scotland, 28/29 Aug 1944. Scottish Aviation, Prestwick, Scotland 25 Oct 1944 for modifications. Equipped with H2S airborne radar. Used for radio counter measures. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-M], No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 9 Dec 1944. Returning from a "Jostle" bomber support mission in the early hours of 17 Jan 1045, the landing gear failed to fully lock down on approach to Oulton. Concerned about the fuel state, the pilot carried out an overshoot and circuit but without full flaps. Lining up again with the runway, the aircraft struck trees on the approach tearing off much of he left wing, the aircraft nosing in, turned over and was destroyed by fire (1KIA - RCAF:6INJ). https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n KJ106

c/n 7739

Lockheed-Vega

KJ 106

ex USAAF B-17G-60-VE 44-8339. Delivered to Royal Air Force as Fortress Mark III, serial KJ106 at Dorval, Montreal 13 Aug 44. No.45 Group, Transport Command, Dorval, Montreal 22 Aug 44. Ferried to RAF Prestwick, Ayr, Scotland, 29 Aug 44, arriving 1 Sep 44. No.12 Maintenance Unit, RAF Kirkbride, Cumberland Sep 1944. Scottish Aviation, Prestwick, Scotland 25 Oct 44 for modifications. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-G], No.100 Group, RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 28 Dec 1944. Equipped with H2S airborne radar. Used for radio counter measures. Failed to return from a bomber support mission for "Jostle" duties in the Hamburg area 7 Mar 1945 (5KIA - RAF/RCAF/RNZAF:5POW - RAF/RAAF). Crashed near Pippensen, two miles from Buxtehude, Germany. The official report states that cause was flak; another source states the cause was a night fighter and yet another, that they were shot down by a Lancaster bomber. SOC 8 Mar 1945. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n SR382

c/n 5923

Boeing

SR 382

Ex USAAF B-17F 42-30809. Equipped with H2S airborne radar. Used for radio counter measures. Transferred to Royal Air Force 22 Jan 1944 as Fortress Mark II, serial SR382. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-B], No.100 Group, RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk 2 Feb 1944. Failed to return from a radio counter measures mission 22 Jun 1944 (5KIA - RAFVR:3POW:1EVD - RCAF). During the early hours, the Fortress was shot down over the Netherlands by a German night fighter while returning from a raid on Gelsenkirchen, Germany 22 Jun 1944. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05

s/n SR384

c/n 6084

Boeing

SR 384

Ex USAAF B-17F 42-30970. Equipped with H2S airborne radar. Used for radio counter measures. Transferred to Royal Air Force 21 Jan 1944 as Fortress Mark II, serial SR384. No.214 (Federated Malay States) Squadron [BU-A], No.100 Group, RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk 2 Feb 1944. RAF Oulton, Aylsham, Norfolk 16May44. Failed to return from a mission to Antwerp, Belgium 25May44 (2KIA:7POW). Shot down by nightfighter flown by Oblt Hermann Leube, 4/NJG 3 and crashed into Oosterschelde of Yerseke, Netherlands May 25, 1944. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html
last update: 2025-February-05