B-17 Serial Numbers - JeanneRickey.com

3086 (19th BG)
3087 (19th BG)
3088 (19th BG)
3089 (5th BG, 11th BG) lost at sea Oct 21,
1942, central Pacific. The World War 1 ace Edward
V. Rickenbacker was aboard.
Rickenbacker and crew were rescued by Navy planes 24 days later.
MACRs 900 and 802 refer to this but
place the loss date at
Oct 2, 1942.
3090 (c/n 2118) w/o in accident Sep 11, 1942
at Kuaon Field, HI
3091 (19th BG) damaged in Philippines Dec 10,
1941. Flow to Australia but considered
uneconomical to repair and converted to
components.
3092 (5th BG)
3093 (19th BG)
3094 (19th BG)
3095 (11th BG, 61st BS) wrecked at Clark
Field and restored to flyable status by Japanese.
3096 (19th BG)
3097 (19th BG, *Swoose*) only known US
military aircraft to have flown a combat mission
on the first day of US entry into WW II
and to remain in continuous military
flying service throughout the
conflict. Original user was 19th BG. Throughout the war, it
was continually
rebuilt with wreckage of other B-17s
and kept on flying in SW Pacific. Later assigned
as personal transport of Gen George
Brett. At end of war, consigned to Kingman, AZ for
scrapping, but was saved by Frank
Kurtz, its wartime pilot, who arranged for the
city of Los Angeles to accept it as a
war memorial. On April 6, 1946, Kurtz flew the
airplane to Mines Field, the Los
Angeles municipal airport. Among his passengers were
the mayor of Los Angeles and Mrs. Kurtz.
Following acceptance ceremonies, airport
personnel stored the B-17 inside a
hangar. Plan for war memorial fell through and
Frank Kurtz arranged for the National