This B-17 Flying Fortress, 42-30398, “Patches,” and crew were assigned to the 429^th Squadron of the 2^nd Bomb Group. On October 29, 1943 the aircraft was hit with flak with seven crewmembers killed and three crewmembers taken prisoner. On February 15, 1950 one crewmember was buried in Section E Site 294 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. 

1/Lt George R. Howell, Pilot (KIA)
2/Lt Edward E. Gray, Copilot (KIA)
2/Lt John W. Cashore, Navigator (POW)
2/Lt Berbard J. Lewis, Bombardier (KIA)
T/Sgt Paul B. Cassingham Gunner (KIA)  Florence American Cemetery

S/Sgt Francis X. Hughes Gunner (POW)
S/Sgt Leland L. Dishong, Gunner (KIA)   Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
S/Sgt Byron R. Drury, Gunner (KIA)
S/Sgt Robert L. Thompson, Tailgunner (POW)
T/Sgt Robert H. Bryson, Radio Operator (KIA)  Florence American Cemetery

 Genoa,Italy - Mission No. 90 October 29,1943.

The primary target for this date was the Ball Bearing Works at Turin, Italy. Due to a cloud cover over the target, the Marshalling Yards at Genoa were bombed by 28 aircraft that dropped 345, 500 lb GP bombs. Some hits were observed through cloud cover around the target hindering bombing and observation of results. Flak over the target was very heavy, good altitude, poor deflection.

B-17 42-30398, piloted by 1st Lt George R. Howell, was hit by flak just after dropping its bombs. The plane caught fire and disintegrated in midair.


Statement of S/Sgt Francis H. Hughes, after liberation. "About 30 seconds after dropping our bombs, our plane was hit by two bursts of flak. One burst hit in the radio room and the other hit at the tail wheel. As soon as our plane was hit, the pilot told us to bail out. I was flying in the ball turret position. I was watching the bombs go to the target when we were hit. After getting out of the turret and getting on my chute, I saw the front of the plane was broken off at the radio room, and I bailed out through this opening".

"I did a delayed jump of about eight or ten thousand feet...at that time, I also saw that the plane had broken off at the tail wheel, leaving only the waist of the plane floating".

"I landed in the water of Genoa Harbor and was shot in the shoulder while in the water, was given first aid and then taken to a hospital. After around 10 days, in a private room, I was moved out and met Sgt Thompson who told me Lt Cashore had just left for prison camp." During this time, I did not see, nor hear, of any of the rest of those not mentioned above.

  There is a SECOND book, called “Defenders of Liberty”, on the 2^nd Bomb Group which has a repeat of the narrative in the book “The Second Was First.” It has a slightly different description of the loss of 42-30398.

Plane number 42-30398 "Patches", piloted by Lt George R. Howell, of the 429th Squadron, took a devastating flak strike through the fuel tank for number 3 engine seconds after bombs away. Now in flames, the plane nosed up, rolled completely over, went into a spin, and soon started to disintegrate. Observers reported four and five parachutes.

The narrative related by S/Sgt Francis H. Hughes is repeated word for word as in the first book, with the added sentence "These three crewmen, Hughes, Thompson, and Cashore were the only survivors".

"One of those who perished on Lt Howell's crew, was the radio operator, T/Sgt Robert H. Bryson. He had written the poem, which is recorded in the 429th Squadron History." This is the Poem referred to :

Lightnings in The Sky

Oh, Hedy Lamarr is a beautiful gal
And Madeline Carrol is too,
But, you'd find if you query a different theory,
Among any bomber crew;
For the loveliest thing of which one could sing,
(This side of The Heavenly Gates),
Is no blonde or brunette of the Hollywood set,
But an escort of P-38's.

Yes, in the days that were passed, when the tables were massed,
With Glasses of Scotch or Champagne,
It's quite true that the sight was a thing to delight,
Us ,no longer the same nowadays in this game,
When we head North from Messina Straits;
Take the sparkling wine, make mine every time,
An escort of P-38's.

Byron, Shelley and Keats, ran at least a dozen dead heats,
Describing the view from the hills,
Or the valleys in May, when the winds gently sway,
An army of daffodils;
Take the daffodils, Byron, the wild flowers Shelley,
Yours to the myrtle, friend Keats,
Just reserve me, those cuties, those American beauties,
An escort of P-38's.

Sure, we're braver than hell,
On the ground all is swell,
In the air it's a different story;
We sweat out our track, through the fighters and flak;
While we're willing to split up the glory,
Well, they wouldn't reject us, so heaven protect us,
And, before all this shooting abates;
Give us courage to fight 'em, and
One other small item,
an escort of P-38's.

T/Sgt Robert H. Bryson

Thanks to Jim Peters for referencing these books called “The Second Was First" and “Defenders Of Liberty” which are available from the 2nd Bomb Group Association. 

 From Jim Peters:

I was stationed at Tortorella, which was approx 8 1/2 miles east of the little town of Foggia on the south side of a road to Manfrdonia,...a small fishing village on the Adriatic coast.

Amendola was approx 2 1/2 miiles further east on the north side of the same road to Manfredonia. The two AAFs were so close, that when the 2nd and 97th took off, they flew right over our tents in my squadron area, at an altitude of some 100 ft or so, on the first circle, and then on each succeeding circle (to form the Group) they were some 200 or so feet higher.

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)