Kits World 148032 Boeing B-17 F/G 'Little Patches' and Boeing B-17 F 'Nine Little Yanks '

This sheet includes:
B-17G serial # 42-31678 'Little Patches' LL-L.
B-17F serial # 42-3271 'Nine Little Yanks and a Jerk' EP-L.

'B-17G 42-31678 "Little Patches" DF-'L

42-31678 of the 324th Bomb Sq, 91st BG. On the 29 March 1944 mission to Brunswick, she was damaged enough to send to the Sub Depot for major repairs. When she returned to service, she was assigned to the 401st Bomb Sq (re-coded LL-L). The artwork would be completely repainted by Tony Starcer, becoming a more diminutive brunette with a different dress. She finished the war intact with well over 100 sorties to her credit.

B-17F serial # 42-3271 'Nine Little Yanks and a Jerk' EP-L

Robert L. Hughes Crew (left to right)
Standing: Leonard Wickens (NAV), Donald Davis (CP), Robert Hughes (P), Richard Elliott (BOM)
Kneeling: Robert McKimmy (TG), James Angel (TTE), Talmadge Buntin (WG),
Joseph Boyle (ROG) Horace Barnum (BTG), Gerald Gulick (WG)
Gerald Gulick became TTE after fifth mission -- 100th BG

2ND LT ROBERT L. HUGHES P CPT 04 MAR 44 - BERLIN
2ND LT DONALD S. DAVIS, JR CP CPT 13 FEB 44 - LIVOSSART & BOIS REMPRE (NOBALL)
2ND LT LEONARD A. WICKENS NAV CPT 13 FEB 44 - LIVOSSART & BOIS REMPRE (NOBALL)
2ND LT RICHARD E. ELLIOTT BOM CPT 13 FEB 44 - LIVOSSART & BOIS REMPRE (NOBALL)
T/SGT JAMES W. ANGEL TTE RFS CHRONIC AIRSICKNESS OVER HIS STRENUOUS OBJECTIONS
T/SGT JOSEPH F. BOYLE ROG KIA 05 NOV 43 - GELSENKIRCHEN, SYNTHETIC OIL
S/SGT HORACE E. BARNUM, JR BTG CPT 06 FEB 44 - ROMILLY sur SEINE, AF
S/SGT TALMADGE P. BUNTIN RWG CPT 06 JUN 44 - OUISTREHAM
SGT GERALD H. GULICK LWG CPT BRUNSWICK
SGT ROBERT L. McKIMMY TG NOC --

351ST SQDN.. CREW, AS ABOVE, JOINED THE 100TH GP ON 14 JUL 43; THIS WAS THE 351ST'S FIRST REPLACEMENT CREW.

JOEPH BOYLE WAS KILLED BY A FLAK SHARD OVER GELSENKIRCHEN. A BURST ABOVE THE A/C SENT A SLIVER DOWNWARD JUST GRAZING THE TOP STEEL LINING OF HIS FLAK SUIT AND PIERCED HIS HEART. HE IS BURIED AT CAMBRIDGE IN PLOT B ROW 3, GRAVE 51. H. L. HUGHES RETIRED AS LT. COLONEL AFTER 27 YEARS. BARNUM MADE A CAREER OUT OF THE AIR FORCE, RETIRING IN 1968. The RWG, BUNTIN, ALSO STAYED IN THE SERVICE RETIRING AS A MASTER SGT SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THIS FROM JIM BROWN IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES.

AFTER THE CHRONIC AIRSICKNESS FINALLY GROUNDED ANGEL, DESPITE HIS PROTESTS, HE SERVED ON THE GROUND CREW.

A/C FLOWN BY THIS CREW WAS "NINE LITTLE YANKS AND A JERK"

Excerpts from Robert L. Hughes's War Diary

"My crew was the first replacement crew in the 351st Squadron of the 100th BG (H). We finished our tour in and in all our leads we left but one man over enemy territory. (Big Frank Valesh had his tail gunner shot from his aircraft over the coast of France. The tail gunner was reported as a POW in good health. Frank flew his plane back and landed at Manston Air Field, minus his Tail Gunner and tail compartment.) He was flying my right wing and in close at the time."

October 10, 1943

"I remember the very young Robert Rosenthal as he returned from Bloody Munster; I had been debriefed and was holding fast for the return of the rest of the crews. Without saying a word, his face told the entire story, but he did say a few words."

"Nine Little Yanks and a Jerk aborted on the end of the runway on take-off, a large piece of flak was found to have cut the Magneto harness and shorted out our ignition. We took old 604 and after scrubbing cosomline off the guns rendezvous with Major Egan and the 100th BG (H) was made at the English Coast as the 13th Combat Wing headed for the French Coast. ...test fired our guns as soon a possible after clearing the English Coastline. Six guns were inoperative. Major Egan was advised and we were instructed to continue working on them. As we were nearing the French Coast we test fired again and had lost one gun for a total of seven inoperative .50 caliber guns. We had penetrated inland of the French Coast and were contemplating going on when Major Egan instructed us to take it home, because of the probability of the rest of the guns seizing up after continued firing. As I recall, top and ball turrets guns were inoperative, Tail guns were frozen and one of the nose guns was inoperative. We swung back out to sea and headed for England after wishing John (Major Egan) good luck (which he never received). We later discovered that Armament had brought our new guns to #604 and that they had just been slipped into place without the usual GI soap and hot water bath required before the guns could be put into service. We did not ask credit for this mission, especially after seeing our returns...."

"Naming the plane - When we were assigned our B-17 at Grand Island Nebraska, we named her "NINE LITTLE YANKS AND A JERK". After we crossed the Atlantic and were approaching Preswick, Scottland, Joe Boyle ROG forgot to pull in the trailing wire antenna, which created havoc with the Scottish countryside. Now we thought we knew who was the "JERK" on the crew. However, when we flew our first missions on other crews to get experience, we found we had another "JERK" on the crew. When the crew I drew with Captain Murphy as pilot had trouble with its plane, Piccadilly Lily, we went to another aircraft. I left live ammunition in the chambers of the ball turret guns on the "Lily". When I got a severe but just reprimand from Capt. Murphy, we thought maybe we should have called our aircraft "Eight Little Yanks and Two Jerks".