42-97296

Royal Flush

B17G-45-BO, built in Boeing's Seattle plant, delivered to the USAAF on February 16, 1944, and assigned to the 447th at Rattlesden on April 30. The origin of the name Royal Flush is unknown.

An unidentified 711th Squadron crew with Royal Flush
photo from Pictorial History of the 447th Bombardment Group (H)

From the April 18 Accident Report (See below)

Combat Missions:

One of the 447th's "Century Ships," Royal Flush is credited with 115 combat missions.  From available records, we've identified 109, shown below.

No DATE TARGET PILOT COMMENTS
1 05/24/44 BERLIN Adams  
2 05/29/44 LEIPZIG Whitelely  
3 06/02/44 WIMEREUX Brandt  
4 06/04/44 WISSANT Brandt  
5 06/06/44 D-DAY TARGETS NORTH FRANCE Brandt  
6 06/07/44 NANTES Solars  
7 06/11/44 LE TOUQUET MERLIMENT PLACE Brandt  
8 06/14/44 FLORENNES/JUZAINE A/F Brandt  
9 06/15/44 MISBURG Read  
10 06/20/44 FALLERSLABEN KONINGSBORN Brandt  
11 06/21/44 BERLIN Brandt  
12 06/23/44 ST. QUENTIN Brandt  
13 06/24/44 WESERMUNDE Leach  
14 06/25/44 AREA #1 "ZEBRA" Brandt  
15 06/28/44 DENIAN-PROUVY Brandt  
16 07/06/44 BERCK A/F Phillips  
17 07/08/44 ST. ANDRE DE L'EURE / NOGENT M/Y Pattee  
18 07/11/44 MUNICH Gunn  
19 07/12/44 MUNICH Gunn  
20 07/13/44 MUNICH Brandt  
21 07/14/44 AREA 10, CADILLAC Brandt  
22 07/16/44 STUTTGART Brandt  
23 07/18/44 CUXHAVEN Brandt  
24 07/20/44 MERSEBURG D. Leach  
25 07/24/44 ST. LO AREA Brandt  
26 07/25/44 ST. LO AREA Brandt  
27 08/02/44 ST. DENNIS Brandt  
28 08/07/44 ANIZY LE CHATEAU D.W. Leach  
29 08/08/44 BRETTEVILLE D.W. Leach  
30 08/09/44 AACHEN D.W. Leach  
31 08/11/44 BELFORT M/V Heinrich  
32 08/13/44 SEINE R. AREA(π) Brandt  
33 08/14/44 MANNHEIM Brandt  
34 08/24/44 BRUX Roberts  
35 08/28/44 BERLIN Herring  
36 08/31/44 BREMEN Brandt  
37 09/01/44 MAINZ Brandt  
38 09/03/44 BREST Brandt  
39 09/05/44 BREST Brandt  
40 09/08/44 MAINZ Brandt  
41 09/09/44 GRASSY Heinrich  
42 09/10/44 GIEBELSTADT Herring  
43 09/13/44 STUTTGART Halverson  
44 09/25/44 LUDWIGSHAFEN Hrabovsky  
45 09/26/44 BREMEN Herring  
46 09/27/44 LUDWIGSHAFEN Herring  
47 09/28/44 MERSEBURG Herring  
48 10/05/44 MUNSTER A/F Unger  
49 10/06/44 BERLIN Herring  
50 10/07/44 MERSEBERG Herring  
51 10/09/44 GUSTAVSBURG Poynor  
52 10/12/44 BREMEN Herring  
53 10/14/44 COLOGNE Herring  
54 10/17/44 COLOGNE Herring  
55 10/25/44 HARBURG Neal  
56 10/26/44 HANOVER Poynor  
57 10/30/44 MERSEBURG Hayes  
58 11/02/44 MERSEBURG Herring  
59 11/09/44 SAARBRUCKEN Middeleer  
60 11/16/44 DUREN AREA Rosenblum  
61 11/21/44 KOBLENZ Herring  
62 11/25/44 MERSEBURG Herring  
63 11/27/44 BINGEN Minker  
64 11/30/44 LUTZKENDORF Herring  
65 12/04/44 MAINZ Herring  
66 12/11/44 KOBLENZ GIESSEN White  
67 12/12/44 DORMSTADT Herring  
68 12/15/44 HANOVER Herring  
69 12/18/44 MAINZ Herring  
70 12/24/44 BABENHAUSEN Hayes  
71 12/28/44 KOBLENZ Jessen  
72 12/30/44 MANNHEIM Malone  
73 12/31/44 COGNAC Wolfe  
74 01/01/45 DOLLBERGEN Tretreault  
75 01/02/45 NALBACH- McMath  
76 01/03/45 KOBLENZ Hayes  
77 01/15/45 AUGSBURG Chandler  
78 01/21/45 MANNHEIM Thompson  
79 01/29/45 KASSEL Armstrong  
80 02/01/45 WESSEL Hayes  
81 02/03/45 BERLIN Armstrong  
82 02/07/45 CHEMNITZ Hayes  
83 02/09/45 WEIMAR Hayes  
84 02/14/45 WESEL Thompson  
85 02/15/45 COTTBUS Malone  
86 02/16/45 WESEL & RHEINE Armstrong  
87 02/18/45 WESEL Hayes  
88 02/20/45 NURNBERG Hayes  
89 02/23/45 CRAILSHEIM Hayes  
90 02/24/45 BREMEN Hayes  
91 02/25/45 NEUBERG Hayes  
92 02/26/45 BERLIN Hayes  
93 02/27/45 LEIPZIG Bricker  
94 03/01/45 ULM Hayes 100th mission according to Shields (page 283)
95 03/02/45 DRESDEN Hayes  
96 03/17/45 RUHLAND Kubic  
97 03/18/45 BERLIN Thompson  
98 03/22/45 HELBERT AREA Malone  
99 03/28/45 HANOVER Malone  
100 03/30/45 HAMBURG Thompson  
101 03/31/45 BRANDENBURG Rhodes  
102 04/03/45 KIEL Eakes  
103 04/04/45 KIEL Burnette  
104 04/05/45 NURNBERG Hayes  
105 04/11/45 INGLOSTADT Burnette  
106 04/14/45 ROYAN AREA Eakes  
107 04/15/45 ROYAN AREA Eakes  
108 04/16/45 ROYAN AREA Thompson  
109 04/17/45 DRESDEN Eakes

At 6:00 PM on April 18, 1945, Crew Chief M/Sgt Jack Berry was taxiing Royal Flush from the hangar area to its hardstand along the perimeter track.  By the time Berry noticed a crane parked on the side of the track, it was too late to stop.

Although damage to Royal Flush was relatively minor, the Group stopped combat operations three days later, and 42-97296 was designated as salvage.