447th Badge447th Bomb Group
USAAF Station 126 - Rattlesden 
42-97296, Royal Flush
42-97296, Royal Flush, a 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 PictorialHistory 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.
(Compilation by Rob Kirkwood)
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.