Aircraft History
Built by Boeing at Seattle. Delivered to the U. S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to Australia.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 19th Bombardment Group, 30th Bombardment Squadron. No know nose art or nickname. Operated from 7 Mile Drome at Port Moresby.

Australian artist William Dargie painted this B-17 at 7-Mile Drome during October 1942:
"A night time scene of soldiers pictured standing in front of B17s taking off, with searchlights glowing up into the sky. Dargie noted, "Twenty bombers (the greatest number to this date) took part in this raid. One failed to return. A couple of nights later forty-two B17's went on the same mission. This aroused great enthusiasm in Moresby at the time and we all felt the Japs were at last getting something of their own back".

Mission History
On November 5, 1942 crashed at Mareeba Airfield. Afterwards, written off due to damage.

Wreckage
This B-17 was stripped for usable parts then abandoned at Mareeba Airfield. On July 27, 1943 scrapped by the 2nd Australian Corps Special Salvage Unit along with B-17E "Frank Buck" 41-2659.

References
On Wings We Conquer page 185
AWM ART22074 "Flying Fortresses (B17's) taking off at 0230 from 7-Mile Drome, Moresby to bomb Rabaul town and harbour"
Thanks to Steve Birdsall and Edward Rogers for additional information

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Last Updated
June 6, 2020