31 December 1943

Boeing B-17F-75-BO " The Black Swan " (s/n 42-29895 code DF-H)

" Kerancréac'h ", Bannalec - Rosporden (29)
(contributors : Frédéric Hénoff, Yves Carnot, Philippe Jégousse, Antoine Noslier)

The B-17 "The Black Swan" (s/n 42-29895) in flight over Bremen, Germany, on December 20, 1943, 11 days before it was shot down.
(original and zoomed-in photo)
Photo NARA 342-FH-3A19763-61045AC

The "nose art" of the B-17 "The Black Swan" with Captain Parker, the pilot of the aircraft in August 1943, in the foreground.
Photo NARA 342-FH-3A10679-A62783AC

Crew (91^st BG, 324^th BS) :

This photo, taken in front of another B-17 ("Duke of Paducah" s/n 42-37736), shows part of the crew of the "The Black Swan" :
- Back row, from left to right : S/Sgt Larry C. HULL, X, 2^nd Lt Stuart B. MENDELSOHN, 2^nd Lt Laverne Ellie WOODS, X, T/Sgt James Nicholas QUINN
- Front row, from left to right : S/Sgt Abraham Roke LIEBERMAN, X, X, T/Sgt Richard George HENSLEY
Photo American Air Museum - Reference UPL 51047

- (Pilot) 2^nd Lt. Stuart Bernard MENDELSOHN, from Ohio (USA), service number O-672379, killed.
Awarded the DFC and the Air Medal.
Saint-James American Military Cemetery (Normandy), plot J, row 11, grave 1.

Stuart Bernard Mendelsohn
Photo website Find a grave - Patootie

- (Co-Pilot) 2^nd Lt. Laverne Ellie WOODS, service number O-742043, from Tennessee (USA), P.O.W.
Stalag Luft I Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia.

- (Navigator) 2^nd Lt. Warren L. ELLIS, service number O-750185, from Indiana (USA), P.O.W.
Stalag Luft I Barth-Vogelsang, Prussia.

- (Bombardier) 2^nd Lt. James A. SCHNEIDER, service number O-747961, born on 8 June, 1918, Mobridge, South Dakota (USA), escaped.
Returned to duty via the Shelburn network on the night of February 26/27, 1944 (mission "Bonaparte # 2", MGB 503).

James A. Schneider when he was in the crew of the B-17 "Pist'l Packin Mama"
Photo NARA 342-FH-3A10626-C62763A

- (Top turret gunner) T/Sgt. Richard George HENSLEY, service number 6569055, from Washington (ISA), killed.
Awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Saint-James American Military Cemetery (Normandy), plot G, row 14, grave 1.

Richard George HENSLEY
Photo website Find a grave - Marcus Rutledge

- (Radio operator) T/Sgt. James Nicholas "Jimmy" QUINN, service number 12090499, born on 18 February, 1921, New York City (USA), escaped.
Returned to duty via the Shelburn network on the night of February 26/27, 1944 (mission "Bonaparte # 2", MGB 503).

- (Ball turret gunner) S/Sgt. Larry C. HULL, service number 12126905, from New York (USA), P.O.W.
Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf

-(Left waist gunner) S/Sgt. Abraham Roke LIEBERMAN, service number 33325292, from Pennsylvanie (USA), P.O.W.
Unknown camp.

- (Right waist gunner) S/Sgt. Rollin E. GATER, service number 35488672, from Indiana (USA), P.O.W.
Arrested following a denunciation, Stalag 17B, Braunau Gneikendorf.

- (Tail gunner) S/Sgt. Porter Dudley CLEMENS, service number 19122414, from Oregon (USA), P.O.W.
Stalag-Luft III, Sagan, Silésie

THE STORY

On December 31, 1943, returning from a raid on Bordeaux (33) and Cognac (16), the B-17F s/n 42-29895 was hit by the Flak shortly after Cognac. The aircraft continued flying over the Bay of Biscay. Then, while crossing the tip of Finistère, the aircraft was hit again, and the order was given to bail out. The pilot and the top turret gunner were killed in the aircraft. Six crew members were captured, and two others managed to escape with the help of the Shelburn network via the beach at Plouha (Côtes du Nord).

The map below (pages 24 and 25 of the Missing Air Crew Report 1975 - source National Archives) shows the route taken by the aircraft on mission on December 31, 1943. "The Black Swan" was shot down on its return flight while crossing Finistère and crashed near Rosporden (red dot on the map).