Extensive Damaged B-17

I'd ask everyone to please try to get this story right, because it's just a wonderful story in no need of embellishment. The tail gunner was not "trapped". The following is a brief extract from Claims To Fame: The B-17 Flying Fortress, a book I wrote with Roger Freeman. I did the chapter on All American and used primary sources, including Ralph Burbridge.
 
In All American, Kendrick Bragg remembered that, "As I opened the door of the radio compartment and looked back into the fuselage I was stunned. A torn mass of metal greeted my eyes. Wires were dangling and sheets of metal were flapping as the air rushed through the torn wreckage. Three-fourths of the plane had been cut completely through by the enemy fighter and a large piece of the wing of the Me109 was still lodged in the tail of our plane . . . It left our tail section hanging on by a few slender spars and a narrow strip of metallic skin."
     Crawling along that narrow strip was Sgt Sam Sarpolus, the tail gunner, bringing with him four gun brushes, his parachute, and Bragg's jacket. He'd left four gas masks, remembering later that "I looked at them a minute and thought the hell with them".

Link of INterest at http://forum.12oclockhigh...hp?p=153137#post153137

Hello,
Just wanted to bring this thread up to speed by posting this link...
http://www.waterlandblog....n-on-the-all-american/
 
Ralph Burbridge is my uncle and he recently retold his story of the mid-air collision of his plane, the 'All American',  to hopefully correct the inaccuracies so often found on the internet.
 
As its been mentioned in the previous posts there are a few details that have been twisted around since that day nearly 70 years ago.  I.E.  The incident occurred in N. Africa and their plane returned to base in N. Africa, not England... The collision occurred after their bombing run... not before, etc.
 
As a sidebar to this great B-17 story, I was contacted recently by the commander of the 414th ERS. Yes, the 414th was reactivated just last November! Believe it or not they are still using the famous patch depicting my uncle's plane's tail section with a dog praying...  vintage 'Coming in on a Wing and Prayer' stuff! (note my avatar!)
 
They hoisted a US flag in his honor in Turkey, mounted it and it was delivered this past July to him. See Ralph's picture and read the story at the above mentioned website.
 
Ralph is providing details for a chapter of forthcoming book about this story. I'm assisting the author as I can with research. If you are anyway connected to the 'All American' please contact me through this forum or by emailing me at allamerican@silveyfamily.org
 
Appreciate everyone's continued interest in this story and helping to get the facts straight!!!
 
Sam

http://www.secondworldwar.org.uk/b17pub.html
http://copperraildepot.com/B17.htm
 
INSPIRATION !
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...h_Bombardment_Squadron

Ralph Burbridge, February 19th 1920 - February 3rd, 2013
Bombardier - All American
 
Shown here in July 2012 after being the recipient of an American Flag flown in his honor and a commendation for his service from the 414th ERS, based in Incirclik, Turkey
 

 
I'm sad to report that Ralph Burbridge, last survivor of the All American, passed away on February 3rd, 2013 in Des Moines, WA. I am sure there's a great reunion going on with his fellow crew mates about now!
 
Ralph was pleased to get some of the inaccuracies corrected over the past few months that have been perpetuated on the web. The family appreciates the help in this endeavor and continued interest in the story. We look forward to the publishing of the forthcoming book that will include a chapter on the All American.
 
As a sidebar to this story I'm pleased to share that I've located the niece of Cliff Cutforth, the photographer that took the famous photograph shown above.  In a collaborative effort, we will be posting all of Cliff's photographs to a future website and will share them here as well.
 
There's a lot of  'em to see, we're excited to share them. Stay tuned!