Shot down -Boeing B-17G 42-31188 "Dead Man's Hand" _ 709.Bomber Squadron,447.Bomber Group,8.AF

[Tdennis]

In the new member forum I mentioned that I had a cousin that was a B-17G pilot that was the last bomber lost during the European theater. GWS asked for more information and I am posting it here. I hope I have it in the correct form, if not someone can please tell me where it goes I will move it over;

 

Quote

 Lastly a cousin, a B-17 pilot that flew one of the last B-17's to have been shot down in the European theater.

 

This Czech website tells the whole story but you need to your browsers translation feature to read a lot of it:  http://www.leteckabadatelna.cz/havarie-a-sestrely/detail/107/

this English site gives some English text regarding the incident. https://b17flyingfortress.de/en/b17/42-31188-dead-mans-hand/

[GWS]

Tdennis---Thanks for the posting of this, I will read it later today. Thanks again.

 

 

 

Steve

[GWS]

Finally got a chance to read the story of "Dead Man's Hand".  A poignant story certainly. After reading the book "The Century Bombers" (100th B.G.) which recounts many of the B-17's and crews lost over Europe, it's a often repeated tragedy of men dying both in the air and on the ground after successful bailouts. Death at the hands of civilians was more common than I previously had thought. Some of those men murdered on the ground by civilian's were badly injured/wounded before they left their aircraft!  Very sad indeed.

At least the other 7 crew members of "Dead Man's Hand" survived including your cousin. Thanks again for posting this.

 

 

Steve

[Tdennis]

On 11/4/2025 at 5:41 PM, GWS said:

Finally got a chance to read the story of "Dead Man's Hand".  A poignant story certainly. After reading the book "The Century Bombers" (100th B.G.) which recounts many of the B-17's and crews lost over Europe, it's a often repeated tragedy of men dying both in the air and on the ground after successful bailouts. Death at the hands of civilians was more common than I previously had thought. Some of those men murdered on the ground by civilian's were badly injured/wounded before they left their aircraft!  Very sad indeed.

At least the other 7 crew members of "Dead Man's Hand" survived including your cousin. Thanks again for posting this.

Steve

 

[Tdennis]

Steve thanks for looking. Yes I too was surprised that so a men were attacked by the civilian population, especially that close to the end of the war.

Kind regards,

Dennis Glazener

[GWS]

I think that in 1944 into 1945 there might have been much more hatred of Allied flyers simply because  the bombing  by the Allies had become widespread for so long. Now, I wonder if the reverse might be true and there were cases like this in England during and after the blitz?  That might be some interesting research to do. I doubt that anything would have been publicized at the time though.

 

 

Steve

[Niemannnnn]

heres anotherlink to B-17 https://www.facebook.com/groups/8THAFHS/posts/4549444225105072/

[Tdennis]

Thanks, that will keep busy for awhile!

Dennis