Union Pacific's B-17

 
http://utahrails.net/images/up_b-17_Spirit_of_UP.jpg
 
The above link will take you to a photo of a B-17 lettered for "Spirit of the Union Pacific". The photo was taken on August 3, 1943. The names and job titles of the people in the photo make me believe the photo was taken at the Boeing plant in Seattle.
 
The men in the photo are, left to right: H. O. West, executive vice president, Boeing Aircraft Company; Walter Wilson, chairman Union Pacific War Bond Committee; F. W. Madden, representing Brotherhood Railway Clerks; John D. Bear, Brotherhood Maintenance of Way Employes; L. A. Collins, superintendent Oregon Division; D. W. Hood, Brotherhood Railway Trainmen and Arthur A. Murphy, assistant to president, Union Pacific.
 
In a follow-up news item in the September 1945 issue of Union Pacific's employee magazine, there was the following item:
 
"FATE OF U. P. BOMBER NOW REVEALED
 
"Omaha, Nebr.— With the war over, Union Pacific employes now can know the story of the B-17 bomber named in their honor—"The Spirit of Union Pacific."
 
"Back in 1943, the 65,000 employes of the railroad during May and June voluntarily increased their war bond purchases by an extra $379,000, in appreciation were given the privilege of christening a Flying Fortress.
 
"According to information recently released by the War Department "The Spirit of Union Pacific" was on her fifth mission when shot down October 10, 1943, in a raid on enemy installations at Munster, Germany.
 
"Most of the crew were taken prisoner, including the pilot, Capt. Robert B. Short of Los Angeles, a West Point graduate and former native of Norfolk, Neb. Others who parachuted to safety were Lt. Bud H. Hinckley of Rigby, Idaho, the co-pilot; Lt. Stolian, the bombardier; and Sgts. William M. Esseltine, Syracuse, N. Y.; Donald Armstrong, Binghamton, N. Y.; Frank Beckay, Cleveland, 0.; and Eugene A. Runser, Erie, Pa.
 
"The navigator, Lt. Hal K. Hughes of Dallas, Tex., and Sgts. Donald Lowrie, Hazelton, Pa., and Richard Grace, Glassport, Pa., were reported killed."
 
Here is a link to an image of the article.
 
http://utahrails.net/images/up_b-17_follow-up.jpg
 
Based on this information, I've spent some time researching the airplane and the mission, but without much luck.
 
It appears that October 10, 1943 was one of the worst days for the loss of B-17 airplanes and crews, all during what has become known as "Black Week", which included the raid on the ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt.
 
I found a web site for the 100th Bomber Group that includes a listing of the 13 planes lost by that group over Munster on October 10, 1943. Of those 13 aircraft, two crews lost three men as killed in action. The planes were "Lena" aircraft 42-3433 LN-W, and "Slightly Dangerous" aircraft 42-30734 EP-G.
 
But these crew names don't match the news article. I found another reference that 8th Air Force put up 313 aircraft on that day for the raid on Munster.
 
I found a discussion group about the Munster raid, with one message stating that during "Black Week" at least 141 B-17s lost over the continent between October 8 thru 14, 1943. Twenty-seven lost on October 8; twenty-four lost on October 9; thirty lost on October 10; Sixty lost on October 14.
 
This means that of the 30 aircraft lost by the 8th Air Force on October 10, 1943, 13 aircraft came from the 100th BG alone in the raid over Munster.
 
John Bromley, curator at the Union Pacific museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa, wrote the following:
 
"As a side note about the bomber apparently this is not the plane originally intended to be the UP plane. The Army didn't want to wait on the plane for a ceremony so this a second plane that was lettered. In the haste to get it painted they omitted the word "employees." According to Army and Treasury Department instructions on naming bombers, they were supposed to be named for employees of organizations. They didn't want to delay delivery of this plane so it went out as shown. Reportedly it took off immediately after the photo session. This was recorded as the first named heavy bomber recognizing a railroad group."
 
If anyone can add to the above, I'd like to hear from you. Especially if you can help me find the aircraft number.
 
Don Strack
http://utahrails.net/ 

There are copies of this photo available on ebay.  They are supposedly wartime printed postcards.  Thanks for posting the information on the plane, as I was wondering what the serial of the plane was as well, and if the names of the crew members were correct, then it looks like Hal has identified the plane.   However, according to Forman's B-17 name directory, 42-30826 was named "Short Stuff".  He also has another plane with the name Short Stuff from the same group and squadron (390 BG, 571 BS) so his reference to 42-30826 being named Short Stuff may just be an error.
 
Marty

Hal...If the aircraft was damaged enough to be sent to the depot for repair, sometimes the aircraft, when the repair was accomplished, would be assigned to another group...in addition as a crew that originally named the aircraft was rotated to the US on completion of their tour, another crew would change the name/nose art.

When an entire bomb group departed enmasse, the aircraft were named in many cases...and some aircraft were re-assigned on arrival at an overseas destination...this happened to the 483rd BG in the MED....the new aircraft were given to the 99th BG and the 2nd BG,  and traded for older aircraft.

When the 97th departed England for N.Africa for operation "Torch" ..the Invasion of N.Africa, the 97th "E"s were traded for the 92nd's "'F"s...and at the same time, the 92nd was removed from combat, and assigned the job of training the replacement aircrews as they arrived in England....later on in the war, the 92nd resumed combat operations.

Col Lemay was distressed when he attempted to get his aircraft returned from the depot, and he felt that the depot was working Mon-Fri...and he was fighting the war....this had to have had a bearing when he was in charge of SAC...a SAC unit was organized so that the Base Commander reported to the Wing Commander..the only exception was if the SAC Wing was a tenant on the base...otherwise, if the base was totally SAC, the Base Commander reported to the SAC Wing Commander.

Jim :-)

Don,

One more thought.  Your photo shows the name painted on the starboard side.  Most often nose art was painted on the port side.  Could be this a/c had a split personality, Spirit of The Union Pacific on one side and Short Stuff on the other.

Hal

Hi Don
 
Many thanks for your post
 
very good and interesting research
 
Daniel

Thanks for the nice summary. I have corrected the aircraft code from DI-R to FC-R.
http://utahrails.net/up/up-b-17.php
For the Munster mission on October 10, 1943, Captain Short's aircraft 42-30332, "Short Stuff," was out of service, so Captain Short and his crew flew aircraft 42-30826, "Spirit of the Union Pacific" instead. Later, and because he had been shot down, his original airplane 42-30332 "Short Stuff" was assigned to a new crew and renamed to "Spirit of '76". It flew until being hit by enemy flak over Orienburg (near Berlin) on April 18, 1944. The aircraft was losing fuel so they turned toward the north coast of Germany. They successfully landed at Bulltofta, Sweden and the crew all returned to duty in October and November 1944. There is no additional information as to the disposition of aircraft 42-30332.
Prior to his death in 1998, Captain Short used "Shortstuff" as his email address.
Don Strack
http://utahrails.net/