305th B 17 '' Butch '' ?

Delancey,
The Correct Serial # for B-17:
#42 - 5125 XK Q
Shot down 6/13/43
Pilot - Lt. Grant Higgs
Sgt. William T. Nolan - Ball Turret Gunner
8 KIA    2 POW   MACR # 16205
Mike

Grant Higgs flew three missions in 42-5125 - May 4th to Antwerp, June 11 to Wilhelmshaven and June 13 to Bremen on which he was shot down.  Nolan only flew two missions on 42-5125 and they were on June 13 and June 11.  I am just guessing here, but if this is a picture of Nolan it was probably taken after the June 11 mission to Wilhelmshaven.  The crew for that day was Grant Higgs - Pilot, John Hall - Co-pilot, J Edwards Navigator, Stanley Van Dyke - bomb, Victor Fort - radio, Guyford Leith TT, Paul Hanson - BT, TG was Raymond Cgragen, WG - W Nolan and R Miears.  I do not believe I have any photos of any of the crew except Grant Higgs.

Another photo of Grant Higgs during training.

Thanks for replies guys , yeah I made an error in the serial number it was indeed 42-5125 , the official history of the 305 states Nolan as Ball Turret Gunner but that contradicts the Deceased Personnel File , family history , the mssion records of June 11th and 13th where he is listed as waist gunner and to top it all off Nolan's records state his height at just short of five feet 10 inches which I'm sure you'll agree is pretty tall for a Ball Turret Gunner - I'll stick my neck out here and say I think the history is wrong on this one.
 
All my research points to the crew of June 13th being ' Ad Hoc ' in nature and they don't appear to have regularly flown together , indeed on June 13th Billy Nolan was expected in Ireland for a vacation to visit his relatives - he had done his 25 missions and was due to return to the US after his vacation - my father recalls the preparations made for his arrival in Ireland.
 
Despite all records suggesting that MACR 16205 deals with the loss on June 13th I assure you it does not - rather it refers to 42-24533 lost on June 22 1943 ( have it here in front of me ). Deceased personnel File actually states '' no MACR was done for this aircraft ( 42-5125 ) ''.
 
I wonder was '' Butch '' Sgt Nolan's ' regular ' aircraft and crew ?
 
Grant Higgs was indeed pilot of 42-5125 and was killed before the plane went into the water , Bombardier Lt. Stanley Van Dyke drowned trying to reach a dinghy , Right Waist Gunner Sgt. Granese was also badly wounded / killed before the plane crashed . 7 men made it into 2 dinghies but ultimately only 2 survived - the Deceased file makes for a harrowing read.
Just wondering if anyone knows anything about '' Butch '' and crew ?

Chris , I am attaching a photo of the crew of B 17 '' Patches '' - note the officer 4th from right holding a teddy bear under his arm , that is Lt. Stanley Van Dyke who drowned swimming to a dinghy from 42-5125 on June 13th 1943 (  just 8 days after the photo was taken ).
 
I have no reason to believe '' Butch '' is 42-5125 rather I suspect its a completely different plane that William Nolan had flown on before he moved to the aircraft he lost his life on.

I agree that there have been a number of threads concerning the name of 42-5125 and the consensus seems to be that there is no consensus ! A number of names have been attributed to 42-5125 though I had thought ''Boomtown Jr. '' was the most likely candidate.....
I would love to know that name it carreid on June 13th 1943 though I suspect that will prove difficult to prove with certainty.
I would be interested in learning what aircraft/crew that Sgt. Nolan had flown the bulk of his missions with. 

The early B-17Fs had dimpled nose cones and no astrodome, among other things.
 
For what it's worth, the nose art on XK-Q 42-5125 appears to match the name and "gusher" artwork that was carried by Boom Town, Jr.

Hello Chris
I would have to agree and concede that point. Having looked at the original lists prepared by MG in the 80's I already know of a few errors, so in light of last know name, it may be we are looking at another ship carrying the name. As Steve has now pointed the distant shot appears to have the same image likely to be ''BOOM TOWN JR''. When we actually have a clear image, with the Asn visible, it cancels out any doubts or misdirections.
 
Ian

Steve Birdsall

Butch is a very early B-17F and that rabbit artwork on the nose has a lot in common with the artwork on the 422nd Bomb Squadron's 41-24525, What's Cookin' Doc.
 
 

I show a mission Grant Higgs flew on as mission # 39, to St Nazaire-5, on 29 May 1943 aboard plane 41-24575, call number XK-S, nickname Sunrise Serenader. No photo available here, off by 1 digit of "What's Cookin' Doc"

Hi Delancey -
 
Before this thread fades away, could you check if the numbers stencilled on the nose of Butch above the name are readable? The photo looks to be very sharp, so a high resolution scan of that section (or just a magnifying glass) might give us the answer we're looking for.
 
Thanks!