Glad you liked the picture Ian. I have a few more I will try to get on today and they all have this same feel to them. I will also try to add some who's who as I get it figured out a little better.
 
What follows is Doug Jackson's mission list. He flew tail gunner on many of Eby's missions. I will list them as date, place, plane number, time and pilot.
 
9-11-44 Merseberg  079(Miss Dee Day?)  8:45   EBY   Fighters
9-12-44 Ruhland     079                        9:15   EBY   Fighters
9-17-44 Arnhem     079                        6:15   EBY
9-25-44 Frankfurt   475                        8:00   EBY
9-26-44 Osnabruck 475                        6:30   EBY     Hit by Flak
9-28-44 Magdeburg 252                        9:10  EBY     Hit by flak
9-30-44 Munster     563                       5:55   EBY
10-3-44 Nurnburg    563                       8:30  Mitchell
10-6-44 Stargaurd   317                       10:40 EBY     Hit by flak
10-7-44 Zwickau    9947                       9:10  EBY
10-14-44 Cologne     317                      7:45  EBY  
10-17-44 Cologne     317                      6:10  EBY  Hit by flak Ball turret gunner wounded
10-25-44 Hamburg    317                      7:45  EBY
10-26-44 Munster     317                      7:00  EBY
10-30-44 Munster     948                      6:45  EBY
11-2-44 Merseberg   317                      8:15  EBY  Hit by fighters
11-4-44 Ruhr Valley  ***                      6:00 Brymer   365th Sqd
11-6-44 Hamburg      317                      8:00  EBY 
11-9-44 Saarbrucken ***                     8:30  EBY  Hit by flak
11-16-44 Aachen      109                      7:30  EBY
11-21-44 Merseberg  252                      7:30   EBY
11-26-44  Hanover     317                       7:45  EBY   Fighters
11-30-44 Merseberg   109                     9:45  EBY     flew lead this mission Hit by flak
12-5-44  Big Berlin     346                     8:30  EBY   PFF
12-24-44 Geissen      493                     7:55  EBY      Fighters
1-10-45  Cologne      346                     6:45  EBY
1-15-45  Mulhouse    025                     7:20  CEJKA
1-17-45 Paderborn    025                     7:30  WARD
2-1-45   Mannheim    507                     8:10 CRESON    Hit by flak
2-3-45  Berlin           025                     7:30 CRESON  Hit by flak flew w/3 engines
2-16-45 Dortmund     507                     8:20 CRESON
2-19-45 Bochum        317                    7:30 CRESON
2-22-45 Nurnburg      737                     8:30 ***  365th SQD
2-23-45 Wurzburg     209                     9:30 Johnson
2-24-45 Hamburg      ***                     8:50 EBY    PFF
 

Hello Shane. Thanks for the mission list.
I did a very quick look over this, and can put forward to you following. This may help you advance the search. I’ll keep checking and see what further info might come up. Bear with me, as I’m trying to juggle several ‘305th enquiries’ in the air at once at this time, and may not get an immediate answer back to you. Here goes for now, and this isnt a full reply as I cant track down a couple of the Asn's and attribute to any B-17 on the group.
 
Command Pilots flown other than Gene Eby. Obviously, late in the crew’s tour, their own Copilot Donald Creson was promoted to ‘First Pilot’ taking over the left seat from Eby. That can be seen on the final few missions. Other Pilots fown with other than Eby and Creson:
 
BRYMER – this is definitely Raymond Brymer 364th Sqn Pilot.
CEJKA – This likely to be Joseph W. Cejka 364th Sqn Pilot.
JOHNSON – believe this could be Richard Johnson 364th Sqn Pilot.
MITCHELL – Beleive this to be John Mitchell 364th Sqn Pilot. KIA 22nd November 1944 over Hannover Germany.
 
Aircraft used.
One oddity being 43-38737 XK-F of 365th Sqn. ** May have been loaned for this one mission to 364th Sqn, this often happened if a Squadron found itself short of operational aircraft. 737 was issued new to 305th BG 17th November 1944. Finished war, returned to USA 7th June ’45.
 
As is...
 
44-8346 XK-N. Issued to 305th BG 21st November 1944. Survived war, transferred to 384th BG 9th May 1945. Again, this 365th sqn B-17G may well have been loaned to the 364th just for the mentioned mission listed.
 
42-39948 WF-M ‘LEADING LADY’. 364th Sqn ship, second highest mission tally on the 305th BG at flying 133 missions. Issued new to group 15th Nov  1943. Survived war, transf to 401st BG 20th May 1945. A true legend.....
 
43-38109 WF-A. 364th Sqn, issued to group 14th Aug 1944. Survived war, transferred to 401st BG 28th May ’45.
 
42-102563 WF-P. 364th Sqn issued to group 22nd May 1944. Lost 9th November  1944, whilst on slow timing a replacement engine, due to navigation error.  Crew took plane out over North Atlantic and into German occupied territory. Thompson crew.
 
43-38025 WF-W ‘THE CHARACTER’. 364th Sqn. (Later transferred late in war to 366th Sqn and re-designated KY—W). Issued to 305th group 29th July 1944, another high scoring B-17 of the 305th reaching three figure mission tally. Survived war, transferred to 384th BG 9th May 1945.
 
43-38507 WF-N. 364th Sqn, issued to group 4th December  1944. Lost due to crash on take off 10th Jan 1945, scrapped.
 
44-8493 WF-P – PFF/H2x equipped Radar Pathfinder ship. Issued to 305th BG 4th December 1944, survived war, continued post-war with 305th BG during project CASEY JONES, photo mapping of Europe. Deactivated end of 1946.
 
44-8317 WF-F ‘WOOSH  WOOSH’ 364th Sqn. Issued to 305th BG 4th September 1944. Survived war, returned to  USA 7th June 1945. This was another long served B-17 of the 305th, which amassed a high mission tally, certainly close to the 100 mark.
 
You asked about 44-6079 WF-B ‘MISS DEE DAY’. Issued to 305th BG-364th Sqn 2nd June 1944. So named by her first crew, in celebration of June 6th D-DAY, and the allied invasion of mainland Europe-the second front. Survived war, returned to USA June 7th 1945. Yet another high tally mission B-17G.
 
The above I hope will go someway towards helping you expand the story of the Eby crew and the events round them at that time of their tour operating from Chelveston.
I’ll keep in touch with further info for you, as and when time and material occurs.
 
Best of luck in all endeavours!
Regards Ian W

Ian White - 305th BGMA Hon. Life Associate, UK Contact and Organiser of next years 40th Combat Wing UK Reunion - May 21st-31st 2009

More Pictures

 
 

Hello Shane. Wonderful second photo, vry atmospheric. Notice the chin turret behind... both fifty calibre guns have been pulled-removed. The barrell sleeves are (out of view) 'pointing upwards' Thats how the armourers removed both guns for cleaning-maintenance.
 
I have looked at last two missing aircraft, have identified what I beleive are both, and will post below.
 
Did another sweep on the remaining Pilot used by the Eby crew, that of 'WARD'. I cant be immediatly sure, but I think this may be Douglas Ward. Not easy to verify from here, but will have a stab at trying to confirm either way.
 
I'll post the info of two remaining B-17's used. Also I know we can help on a few photos of soe of the machines mentioned.
 
Regards Ian

Ian White - 305th BGMA Hon. Life Associate, UK Contact and Organiser of next years 40th Combat Wing UK Reunion - May 21st-31st 2009

Final update on remaining two B17's used during Doug Jackson's tour - and possibly by most of the Eby crew at some time during the timeframe mentioned.
 
42-97475 WF-U. 364th Sqn, Issued to 305th BG 11th Feb 1944. Nose over, scrapped, after take off incident 3.12.1944. Aircraft had elevator controls locked in error, nosed over on runway.
** This ship had previously flown wth the 482ndBG Alconbury, a known PFF-H2x Pathfinder outfit, but I cant be sure at this stage whether this particular '17 was a lead plane, so equipped with H2x Radar. Needs further investigation.
 
43-38252 WF-D 'SPARE PARTS'. Issued to group 27th April 1944. Lost on mission Germany, 1st April 1945 crashed at Windberg, Germany. This was yet again a long lived, until its loss, ship of the group. Carried a high mission tally score. ** There are a few postings on the general 305th BG Chelveston pages of this particular ship.
 
I think this covers all the aircraft on Jackson's mission list?? If Ive mised any, I apologize!!
 
Ian W

Ian White - 305th BGMA Hon. Life Associate, UK Contact and Organiser of next years 40th Combat Wing UK Reunion - May 21st-31st 2009

Shane,
 
Here is the photo of Spare Parts that I have.

Attached Image(s)

Kevin Brower
305th BGMA
T-Sgt Carl Leidel-305th/365th
Grandfather

Yet another photo of the Eby crew. Center row is Doug Jackson (TG) Gene Eby (pilot) and Gene Creson (CP).
 
Ian, Thanks for all the great info! Kevin, super shot of Spare Parts, thanks.
 

Hello Shane,

Saw your post and thought I would reply.  I have a picture that was in my father's WWII photo album.  The name on the back is "Mac" and he was a pilot in the 364th ETO in July 1944.  I can scan and send if you like. 

Anne

Hello Shane,

I think this picture I found in my father's WWII album is the shortest man in your picture of the Eby Crew.  It is signed on the back  Flak Happy "Mac".  I am going to attach this picture for you to look at.  Do you know if he is still alive?  He was obviously a friend of my father as it is addressed to "Pal". 

Thank you, Anne

Attached Image(s)