MERRY WIDOW
42-31580 B-17G
91/ 323 OR-A

Delivered new to the group by Ferry Command in late January 1944, this camouflaged G model lasted just over three months before being lost on 25th mission. The plane was assigned to Cecil Gorby's crew and they flew its first sortie on 3rd February to Wilhelmshaven. Thirteen further missions followed including two trips to Berlin, on 8th March and again on 29th April. Philip Mack's crew also took the “Merry Widow” to Berlin on 22nd March and the plane would have completed four trips if the mission on the 4th March, with Basil Hacklemen, had not been thwarted by bad weather.

Berlin city center was the target again on 7th May 1944 when 1/Lt. Nenad Kovachevich and his crew took “Merry Widow” on its last flight. The crew was all approaching the end of their tour of duty and the navigator, Edward Wallner, was on his 30th mission that day. There was solid cloud all the way to the target and bombing was done by PFF radar guidance. Good fighter escort kept the few Luftwaffe marauders at bay but over the target intense flak took its toll.

The 91st put up 21 aircraft with another six PFF radar planes accompanying three other groups: 381st, 351st and 401st Bomb Groups. “Merry Widow” was to be the 91st's only loss that day. Over the target, the plane was hit by flak in the No.3 engine and the propeller had to be feathered before smoke stopped streaming back from it. Observers reported seeing the ship drop back from the formation but follow behind, under control, all the way to the Zuider Zee. At this point “Merry Widow” was down to 5000 feet when it was engaged by several flak batteries. While the two pilots struggled to keep control of the plane the remaining crew bailed out into captivity. Both 1/Lt. Kovachevich and his copilot 1/Lt. William Thurman, unable to get out of the aircraft before it crashed, were killed.

At Bassingbourn, returning crews reported that they had seen the “Merry Widow” returning towards the enemy coast and several aircraft from the group went out on Air Sea Rescue searches in the vain hope of locating the crew. They found no trace.

"Story taken from Plane Names & Fancy Noses, by Ray Bowden"