Looking for a picture of B-17E 41-2666

[ZeamerB17]

Hi, I'm looking for a picture of B-17E 41-2666. It flew in the Southwest Pacific Theater with the 19th BG/435th Sq. in 1942, and the 43rd BG in 1943. May have been named "Lucy" at one time.
Two!! Medals of Honor were earned in this aircraft on June 16, 1943 by pilot Captain Jay Zeamer and bombardier 2nd Lt. Joseph Sarnoski (posthumously). Came back to the US and went to 4134 Spokane Base Unit on March 22, 1944; 423 BU Walla Walla on July 4, 1944; 2137 BU Hendricks on July 29, 1944, and then on to the lovely smelter at Albuquerque on August 9, 1945 (according to Freeman's B-17 Flying Fortress Story).
I've looked in every book I can find; contacted 19th and 43rd BG associations and been all over the web to no avail. I don't care what period the pic is, I just want one!

Sorry for the long post .
Thanks,
Dave Armstrong

[FlyingFortB17]

Ah, good 'ol "666." I'll have to dig throught my file of -17 pictures to see if I have one.

[FlyingFortB17]

Here is the picture of the crew, but I imagine you've seen this before. I sincerely doubt that the B-17 behind them is the one in question; I believe they only flew 666 once, and that was on the famed mission over Buka.

I don't know if there is a pic or not of the plane. It should be a pretty distinctive B-17 because it had a .30 cal installed in the cockpit.

[ZeamerB17]

Thanks gentlemen,
I do have a bad copy of that crew pic, wish I had a really hi-res scan of it.

Dave

[FlyingFortB17]

I just looked it up........Jay Zeamer is the only WWII AAF MOH recipiant living today.

[CorsairFreak]

What did the 2 recipients do to earn the MOH?

[bomberflight]

I've just thumbed thru my copy of a softback book called " B-17 Nose Art Name Directory" by Wallace R. Forman ~ Produced in the USA in 1996 by Phalanx Publishing ( ISBN 1-883809-14-2 )

The name Lucy was worn by a B-17 of the 43rd BG / 63rd Sqn serial number 41-2666 ( so far so good ) but is states that there is no known picture of this airplane.

However that was 10 years ago ....... way before the power of WIX was fully understood ~ who knows what the thread will reveal !

[CorsairFreak]

Thanks a lot Col. Very interesting story.

[BK]

What did the 2 recipients do to earn the MOH?

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.com/ ... rnoski.htm

Easily the most heavily armed B-17 there ever was. I wrote to Mr. Zeamer years ago and asked about a photo of the plane. Apparently, there was none as the artistic rendering on the citation he sent me had a generic B-17 on it.

BK

[DryMartini]

Ed Jablonski did a chapter on Zeamer and that
mission in his book "Flying Fortress". Incredible
mission, and a great read.

[ZeamerB17]

According to a letter from Col. Zeamer himself, "Old 666" had 19!! .50s aboard, including the one rigged thru the nose for him to fire from the cockpit.
Read the account in Martin Caidin's Flying Forts (Mission over Buka) for some more insight to Col. Zeamer. It's not entirely accurate, however, so read at your own risk.

Dave

[Chris Brame]

Hi Colonel,
May I suggest bringing a good sketch artist (who knows B-17s) with you when you do the interview? He could draw illustrations for the video, and Col. Zeamer could vet them for accuracy (like where all the guns were, what the nose art looked like, etc.).

[FlyingFortB17]

Col. Rohr,

I sent you a PM.

[ZeamerB17]

Col. Rohr,
I sent you a PM earlier Friday re: Jay Zeamer.

Dave

[ZeamerB17]

Nothing like bringing an oldie back to the top.

I am still looking for a photo of this B-17. Until the day I die ...