Dad's Last B-17 Flight

The last flight of Lowell Chase, Tailgunner, B-17 U.S. Air Force

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• B-17
• Flight
• AirForce
• Lowell
• Chase
• Military
• Flying
• Fortress

[Wingdoss]

Did this gentleman serve in the 532nd sqdn of the 381st BG at Ridgewell? I had a friend who served in the same unit.

[Davchas1]

yes he did. What was your friends name?

Dad, mom, my wife and I visited Ridgewell 10 years ago together.

All that was left was beautiful farm field with one building and a monument to the 381st.

[ossie19681]

No matter if he was a tail gunner, a navigator , bombadier or pilot. Those men all contributed to the liberation of europe and holland(where i live) and i think there are lots of people that remain thankfull for the job they did back then today!

[flysinthewind]

It's so great to see these heros get to fly in one of the planes that changed their lives forever. My father piloted the real 909 on his last mission in 1944. When he and his fellow crew member and ball turret gunner got a complimentary flight a few years ago the gleam in their eyes was unbelievable.

[WSUIN02]

The a/c in the center foreground at 1:59 was flown at one time by my good friend Loyd Adamson. It was one of the most photographed B-17s of WWII and was even on a postage stamp years ago. The picture was part of a photo shoot done in 1944 by Life magazine and was taken from one of the unit's beater aircraft. Loyd went on to fly KC-97s, KC-135s and SA-16s and also founded the USAF Survival School in Labrador. Time finally took him in '08. I still think about him almost every day.

[Tastaalex]

@ossie19681  I live in Norway, they contributed much there too.

[Flyboysdaughter]

Thanks for this. My dad flew in a B-17 crew with the 94th Bomb Group out of England.  He was a Bombardier and was shot down into the English Channel on February 13, 1944. Two of the crew couldn't swim and he kept all three of them afloat until they were finally rescued by a British minesweeper. He went on to fly almost 50 more missions. He died in March of 2006 at 84 and I miss him more every day.

[Skymedc]

Just saw this 12/2011. I'll have to ask my dad if he knows the name. He served in the 532nd July 1943 to 8 Oct 1943 then POW until the end. Cecil W. Quinley (95 now). Jack Pry crew shot down over Bremmen in the Feather Merchant.

[ROBERTR46]

I say again now, like i've said before, Men of this calibre are not around in abundance anymore, these were men who took their responsibility's serious, Country, Family, Wifes, (GIrlfriends) I'll fight for them, But, lets not forget, this happened on both sides

[nielscarp]

@flysinthewind My grandmother remembered the American bombers flying high in the sky,she said she saw at least a 1000 bombers everyday on their way to Germany and the British Lancasters flew during the night they were so many bombers that she couldnt sleep because of the noise. Anyway, thank you America and Britain for liberating The Netherlands and Europe.

[goodguy309]

This plan is the 909er? It is owned and run by the Collins Foundation if I remember correctly.

[ysoitney]

My father was in the 381st BG, 533 bomb squadron.

[sjfranklin92]

Thank you so much for what you did fly free Lowell a real TOP guy.....

[Earssss]

RIP hero