A Heroine Meets an Ungainly Ending.

September 9, 2014September 9, 2014 / Aviationtrails / Leave a comment

Originally designated ‘Louie the Creep’, B-17 42-97976 was repaired and returned to Rattlesden as ‘Bit o’ Lace’. She went on to complete 82 missions in total before being returned via Bradley Field, Boston, to Kingman AAB for storage. Later she met an ungainly ending being stripped and scrapped on 9th November 1945.

B-17 42-97976 ‘Bit o’ Lace’ after the attack on Kiel, 4th April 1945 (author unknown)

‘Bit o’ Lace’ earned notoriety whilst serving from RAF Rattlesden in Suffolk. She is famous for several special reasons one of which is for completing a mission with only half a tail.

What’s the other?

One of the lowest loss records of the Mighty Eighth……

August 15, 2014August 14, 2014 / Aviationtrails / 2 Comments

By the time the war had finished, the 490th had completed 158 missions losing only 22 aircraft in combat; one of the lowest records in the whole of the Eighth Airforce. Immediately after cessation of the conflict, the 490th continued to fly, supplying food and supplies to the people in the Netherlands and other humanitarian operations involving allied POWs across Europe.

The 490th also had another less salubrious claim to fame…

RAF Eye, Suffolk

At 20 yrs old, this RAF Pilot fought his aircraft bravley.

August 11, 2014August 5, 2014 / Aviationtrails / 4 Comments

On the morning of 30th, Manser and another pilot were instructed to collect two Manchesters from Coningsby, Lincolnshire. As many of these aircraft were drawn from reserves and training squadrons, it was inevitable that many would be in poor condition. Manser’s was no exception, it had no mid upper turret and a sealed escape hatch.

When the order came and Manser took off, his aircraft L7301 ‘D’ Dog, an Avro Manchester Mk1, with a full bomb load of incendiaries, was now difficult to manoeuvre and he was unable to reach an altitude of more than about 7,000 ft. Hoping the main bomber force would attract the greater concentration of flak, he decided to continue on.