Re: B-17G "HAPPY MARIE" OR VESPES VIPERS!!!

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Comments:: Kade, : Regarding the positions in the aircraft you have: : Pilot : Co-pilot : Navigator : Bombardier : Top Turret Gunner/Engineer : Radioman/Gunner : Waist Gunners (Right & Left Waist) : Ball Turret Gunner : Tail Gunner : The top four were officers (usually Captains or Lieutenants), and the rest were enlisted men (usually Staff or Technical Sergeants). : As to the numbers on the back of the pictures, it looks like the numbers referred to target numbers as each target had a numerical designation. Groups were given three separate targets - a prime target #, secondary target #, and a target of opportunity if the first two targets were unable to be bombed due to weather. : Hope this helps! Mike : : : My Stepfather was a member of the 407th bomb sqd. stationed at podington from 4/23/44 - 8/25/44 although he pasted away on oct. 8, 2005 I am still looking for info please. I have come across a photo of his crew in pyote texas, on the photo all crew names and ranks and aircraft positions are listed also possible aircraft name "happy marie" on the back of the picture he hand wrote his 35 missions with dates. can anyone help me: : : 1]explain what positions the crew would have occupied in the aircraft. : : 2]explain why that on the missions written on the back of the picture give name of area bombed,date,the a three digit number(which by the way are random sometime repeating numbers ,would they possibly be ac#'s). : : crew: : : 1]J.C. SMITH T/SGT. - ENGINEER : : 2]H.L. SWORDS T/SGT. - RADIO OPERATOR : : 3]W.L. VANCE S/SGT. - AE(?) : : 4]R.W. DIRKS S/SGT. - AAE(?) : : 5]V. VESPE 1ST.(?)- PILOT : : 6]V.L. GRIM 2ND(?)- COPILOT : : 7]H. WEISS 2ND(?)- BOMBADIER : : 8]R.O. BUNCH 2ND(?)- NAVIGATOR : : 9]C.G. RUTHENBURG SGT -AR(?)F.O.(?) : : 10]W.O. ALEXIS SGT -AAR(?) : : ALSO AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PICTURE IS LABLED "VESPES VIPERS"HEADSET. : : THE RANDOM NUMBERS LISTED ON THE BACK OF THE PHOTO WITH THE MISSIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: : : 110 : : 461 : : 681 : : 408 : : 335 : : 335 : : 984 : : 426 : : 326 : : 245 : : 408 : : 765 : : 120 : : 765 : : 546 : : 326 : : 426 : : 426 : : 090 : : 546 : : 335 : : M.S. : : 054 : : 546 : : 054 : : 054 : : 054 : : 872 : : 872 : : 872 : : THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP IN ADVANCE ALSO IF ANYONE NEEDS MORE INFO PLEASE POST IT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD. KADE

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