B-17G-1-BO 42-31088
711th SQ — L or P
Photo between Dec. 31 1943 and March 22, 1944
42-31088, Heaven Can Wait, was one of the original Harvard planes, ferried to Rattlesden in late November 1943. It flew only six combat missions with the 711th Squadron, each with a different crew.
Flight listings for 42-31088
These lists are NOT limited to officially credited Combat missions, and may include Aborts, returns and non-takeoff occurrences as well.
| 447th Mission (Date) | Target | Pilot | Notes |
| #3 (31-Dec-43) | Cognac, France | Hudson, W. C. | |
| #28 (06-Mar-44) | Berlin, Germany | Huckins, W. C. | |
| #36 (20-Mar-44) | Frankfurt, Germany | Leigh, R. H. | |
| #37 (22-Mar-44) | Berlin, Germany | Hughes, H. T. | |
| #44 (09-Apr-44) | Warnemunde, Germany | Kennedy, W. H. |
On the morning of April 12, 1944, Lt. Phillip King’s crew took off on a mission to Leipzig (which was recalled before crossing the North Sea). King experienced difficulties keeping the aircraft in the air, and it crashed approximately two miles from the runway (MAP). Three members of the crew survived. The exact cause of the accident remains in dispute. Officially, a collision with “an object other than aircraft” (a tree) was determined to be the cause. Other factors may have played a part, including mechanical defects, maintenance problems, and possibly even sabotage.
Official crash report AR440412.PDF
Additional details can be found in One Lucky Bastard, by Elwyn “Stub” Warfle. (See Books of Interest). The complete accident report is on order, and will be included here when received.
Those on board Heaven Can Wait on April 12, 1944:
| Pilot | Lt. Phillip King |
| Co-pilot | Lt. John F. Dillon |
| Navigator | Lt. Clarence V. Anderson |
| Bombardier | Lt. John M. Pruner |
| Engineer | Sgt. William Harrison |
| Radio | Sgt. Lloyd Boltz |
| Waist Gunner | Sgt. Duncan Campbell |
| Survivors: | |
| Waist Gunner | Sgt. Donald Granger |
| Ball Turret Gunner | Sgt. John Burek |
| Tail Gunner | Sgt. Carl Reitzel |
Identified elsewhere as the Wesley C. Hudson crew with Heaven Can Wait
Combat Missions (previously compiled)
| No. | DATE | TARGET | PILOT |
| 1 | 12/31/43 | COGNAC | Hudson |
| 01/16/44 | A/C sent to 454th Sub Depot for repair of “extensive battle damage.” | ||
| 03/01/44 | A/C returned to Rattlesden from 454th Sub Depot | ||
| 2 | 03/04/44 | BERLIN – RECALL | Leach |
| 3 | 03/06/44 | BERLIN | Huckins |
| 4 | 03/18/44 | MUNICH | Donahue |
| 5 | 03/20/44 | FRANKFURT | Leigh |
| 6 | 03/22/44 | BERLIN | Hughes |
| 7 | 04/12/44 | LEIPZIG (RECALL) | King (crashed on take off) |
Some photos/information provided by: