B-17G " Nobody's Baby "   42-31036     614th

4 February 1944   Mission #20   Target: Frankfurt


                  4 February 44 , 0755 hours , engines are on.
                  31 planes are off on mission #20.
                  Target today is an Engineering Plant at Frankfurt , Germany.

                  Just after dropping his bombs the plane was hit by flak.
                  The whole crew ( 10 men ) died.

Missing Air Crew Report : 2285

1.    Organization : AAF Sta 128.                  
               

       Command : 8th Air Force.
       Group : 401st.
       Squadron : 614th.

2.    Place of depature : AAF Station 128.
       Course : NW.
       Target : Return from Frankfurt , Germany.
       Type of mission: Operational Bombing.

3.    Weather conditions when last sighted : Visability unrestricted, 7/10 to 10/10 cloud coverage.

4.    Last know date : 4 Feb 1944
       time : 12:25
       location : SW tip of Ruhr Valley.

5.    Aircraft believed to have been lost as a result of : Enemy anti aircraft.

6.    Aircraft type : B-17G
       serial no. : 42-33036

7.    Engines : R-1820-97.

9.   Persons listed below listed as : Battle Casualties.

10.  Persons on board : Crew : 10.

11.  List crew position , name , rank , serial no. and current status :
Pilot Frank Joseph Zitkovic 2nd Lt 0-802823 DED
Copilot Bascom Orlando Clifton 2nd Lt 0-738349 DED
Navigator Wayne Ross Goodwin 2nd Lt 0-688706 DED
Bombardier John Lawrence Wenger 2nd Lt 0-686706 DED
Radio Operator Joseph Henry Dippel S/Sgt 35715066 DED
Engr / Top Turret Burton Sanford Davidson S/Sgt 33345105 DED
Ball Turret Gunner Charles James Howard Jr. Sgt 15063132 DED
Tail Gunner Max Zlotnick Sgt 12156732 DED
Left Waist Gunner Raymond Wilson Fritzinger Sgt 33481601 DED
Right Waist Gunner James Oliver Nichols Sgt 37239419 DED
13.  Person believed to have last knowledge of missing aircraft :

Bergeson , Clifford C.           2nd Lt.        0-748529

- Bombs were away at 12:05 and the A/C was over target flying no. 3 pos. of the lead squadron of the lead box.
  At 12:25 the ship was seen to lose altitude and gradually fell back from the formation.
  All four engines were turning over and A/C seemed to be under control.
  Aircraft apparantly hit by flak , was straggling some 4.000 feet lower than formation ( about 18,000 feet ).
  There were no enemy fighters in the vicinity at the time.
  Flak was bursting around ship when last seen.
  No one knows what happened but the ship did not return to base.




Mission to Frankfurt, germany, At 12:25 the ship was seen to lose altitude and gradually fell back from the formation.
No one knows what happened but the ship did not return to base.






This is all there is to tell about " Nobody's Baby ".
More information would be highly appriciated.

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    Frank Joseph Zitkovic Ohio       1918 - 1944 KIA CA Wall of Missing
    Bascom Orlando Clifton Alabama       1920 - 1944 KIA CA Wall of Missing
    Wayne Ross Goodwin Oklahoma       1915 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    John Lawrence Wenger Illinois       1922 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    Joseph Henry Dippel Indiana       1922 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    Burton Sanford Davidson Pennsylvania       1921 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    Charles James Howard Jr. Indiana       1923 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    Max Zlotnick New York       1924 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    Raymond Wilson Fritzinger Pennsylvania       1917 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing
    James Oliver Nichols Missouri       1918 - 1944 KIA NE Wall of Missing

    NE = Margraten , Netherlands               CA = Camebridge , England

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