401st Bomb Group (H) Association
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L Vervoort
12/7/2002 1:49:38 AM
Hi !
This B17 crashlanded on a RAF field near Brussels.
Who can supply me with more details, sa names of the crewmembers ? What happened ?
Best regards from cold Belgium !

Luc
Jack Reid
12/7/2002 5:01:19 AM
Check the summary for mission 168 - it describes how the ship was hit by flak and crashed - but the crew returned safely to Deenethorpe
Cynthia Smith
12/14/2002 9:11:30 AM
Someone told me about this site; my father was a tailgunner (I think) on Little Pedro.  I will give him this email site.  He lives in Pa. and is in good health.  He will be glad to reply, I'm sure.  Happy Holidays!
L.A.Mitchell
12/14/2002 4:02:35 PM
Jack, I note in your response to the Little Pedro query that you mention.."the summary for mission 168.
I have a casualty list but it only lists fatalities. Where can I get a copy of the "Summary" that you refer to?? Thanx for your reply/ l.a.mitchell
Jack Reid
12/15/2002 7:30:39 PM
The summary I was referring to was the one that is posted on the site - I don't have any more detailed info - the summary is as follows and there don't appear to have been any combat fatalities:
"The 401st put up the three squadrons comprising the 94th Combat Wing "A" Group on this mission. Once again heavy cloud cover made it necessary to bomb by PFF (Radar), with unobserved results. No enemy fighters were encountered, but the flak was accurate and fairly intense. As a result, two Group aircraft received major battle damage, 23 others had minor damage, and one aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing in Belgium. This aircraft, No. 43-37736 ("Little Pedro"), piloted by Lt. Richard L. Steele, was hit by flak just before bombs away. Two engines were knocked out, several of the crew were wounded, and the flak caused a fire in the cockpit. Despite the damage, Lt. Steele was able to bring the ship down at an airfield being used RAF fighters near Brussels. The ship was beyond repair, but the crew were all returned to Deenethorpe safely."
Sorry I couldn't be of more help
Donald Byers
12/17/2002 8:12:45 AM
Hope that he will take time and join the 401stBG and receive the Poop from Group news letter.  What was his name?

Don Byers
Lubbock Texas
Renee Koons
1/29/2003 4:48:22 PM
My grandfather was the tail gunner for the little pedro .. he lives in pennsylvania but is now in florida will ask him in my next letter. (thats wierd that i can actually find people trying to find the same site as me!) haha
Jeffery Lyall
2/17/2003 8:32:38 PM
If your father is Don Koons, he was the ball gunner.  My dad was the waist gunner.  The tail gunner was Dale Martz and he also lives in PA.  I have met Don and talked to him several times by phone.  I have talked to Dale a couple of times and wanted to meet himn at the reunion this year but I couldn't make it. I also met the pilot Al Hanson in 1967, before his passing away.  The navigator, Harry Watson,. lives in TX and we met at the Dayton reunion in 2000.
     Jeff Lyall


Jeffery Lyall
2/17/2003 8:38:04 PM
The pilot was Lt. Richard I. Steele.  My dad flew 35 missions on the Little Pedro from around 14 June 1944 to Oct 3, 1944.  I know alot about his crew, but very litle about the crew on board the day Little Pedro was forced down.
           Jeff Lyall
Anonymous
8/21/2006 8:02:52 PM
Well my ncle was the Ball Turret Gunner(Belly) of this plane.am sure i can ask him about this later on sometime.ill reply ASAP
Anonymous
8/21/2006 8:03:55 PM
Well my ncle was the Ball Turret Gunner(Belly) of this plane.am sure i can ask him about this later on sometime.ill reply ASAP
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