ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 302666
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| Date: | Friday 11 February 1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Boeing B-17G-10-BO |
| Owner/operator: | 359th BSqn /303th BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-31314 |
| MSN: | 6428 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | RAF Shoreham, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Molesworth /AAF Sta.107, Huntingdonshire |
| RAF Shoreham, West Sussex |
Boeing B-17G 42-31314/BN-V "Scorchy" of 359th BS, 303rd BG, USAAF: United Air Lines, Modification Center #10, Cheyenne Municipal Airport, WY 19.10.43. Operational Training Unit, 17th Bomber Operational Training Wing, Grand Island Field, NB 1.11.43. 4th Ferrying Group, Memphis Municipal Airport, TN 2.11.43. To 359th Bomb Squadron, 303rd Bomb Group, Molesworth (USAAF Sta.107), Huntingdonshire 18.11.43. Named "Scorchy".
On 11.2.44 four B-17s made emergency landings at RAF Shoreham, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. Three were successfully executed. One was not.
Until February 1944 Shoreham had been a grass airfield. By virtue of this fact and because often its runways were waterlogged in the winter months, I doubt that prior to this the pilot of any B-17 would have attempted to land there unless he had no other choice. However in that month wire mesh was laid on runway 03/21 (the longest of Shoreham's runways) creating a 'hard' runway measuring 1200 by 130 yards. Soon B-17s, limping back from bombing raids over Europe, were availing themselves of that.
One of the B-17s which did so was 42-31314 (BN-V, 'Scorchy'). After touching down it experienced brake fade and was unable to complete its landing roll within the available 1200 yards. Thus it overshot the runway, its port wing tip hitting the guard house, in the north-west corner of the airfield, and its starboard wing tip hitting the Nº 4 gun post. The occupant of the former, it is said, availed himself of the damage to the building and made good his escape from imprisonment. The occupant of the latter was LAC Kidd. He was seriously injured, suffering a compound fracture of his skull.
The B-17 was badly damaged. Its fuselage was broken into two, its wings were destroyed and its tail plane was detached. Its pilot, 1st Lt. Howard Dahleen, and two other members of its crew were injured and were taken to Southlands Hospital for treatment. The remainder of the crew were uninjured.
Crew of B-17G "Scorchy"
1st Lt Howard Dahleen, Co-pilot
Chas Rice, Navigator
Russ Klingensmith, Bombardier
Ray Gauthier, Flight engineer/top turret gunner
Orrick Malcolm, Radio Operator
Cliff Swanson, Ball turret gunner
Ed Hirn, Waist gunner
Bill Titsworth, Waist gunner
Harding Smith, Tail gunner
Aircraft Salvaged (written off charge) after non battle damage 13.2.44, It is said that a prisoner in the guardhouse took the opportunity to escape!
Sources:
1. https://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=19767.0
2. https://www.americanairmuseum.com/archive/aircraft/42-31314
3. https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/97059/Crash-Location-B-17G-42-31314-Scorchy.htm
4. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_2.html
5. https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-aviation/101490-wartime-crash-at-shoreham
6. http://www.303rdbg.com/index.html
7. https://www.markstyling.com/303JPEG/303bg_cu_47.jpg [nose art]
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton_City_Airport#Second_World_War
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