Lonesome Polecat II

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Lonesome Polecat II was the name of a B-17 Flying Fortress that flew 21 missions over Europe as part of the 8th Air Force during the Second World War. The aircraft serial number is 42-30255. She was based in Horham England as part of the 95th Bomb Group. Entering the war in June 1943, she flew many dangerous missions and received many hits. On one mission over Bremen, Germany, with Lt. John Miller as the pilot, she lost two engines and two crew were hit and killed. Lt. Miller put the plane into a steep dive to shake off the attackers and pulled out at about 1500 ft. flying back to Horham, England full of holes. Her last mission was also to Bremen, where she was hit by flak and lost an engine then attacked by fighters and lost another one, losing altitude. But her wounded pilots (Delbern and Neff) flew on making it to Holland and out over the Wadden Sea where badly wounded Eugene Darter bailed landing just off shore of Texel island, and four other crew landing across the island. She went down with the two wounded pilots just off the beach at De Koog village on Texel Island, the Netherlands on December 16th 1943.

[edit] External links

• Lonesome Polecat II Memorial Page