447th Badge447th Bomb Group
USAAF Station 126 - Rattlesden 
43-38524, Blond Bomber II
Blond Bomber II 
No. 43-38524, B-17G-90-BO 43-37869 was completed in the Seattle plant on August 12, 1944, and was assigned to the 710th Bomb Squadron, 447th Bomb Group, on September 17.  After the loss of 43-37869 Blonde Bomber, this aircraft assumed the name Blonde Bomber II


rare color photograph, taken at Rattelsden in the summer of 1945
by 3rd Air Division staff photographer, Mark Brown
Blonde Bomber II is generally credited with 75 combat missions, and her post-war photo (above) shows 77 mission tallies.  From available records, we've been able to identify the following 73 missions.
Combat Missions
No DATE TARGET PILOT
1 10/02/44 Kassel Henningsen
2 10/03/44 Gilberstadt Wunderling
3 10/07/44 Merseburg McDermott
4 10/09/44 Gustavsburg Dean
5 10/12/44 Bremen Henningsen
6 10/14/44 Cologne Johnson
7 10/15/44 Cologne Henningsen
8 10/19/44 Mannheim King
9 10/25/44 Harburg McDermott
10 10/30/44 Merseburg McDermott
11 11/02/44 Merseburg McDermott
12 11/16/44 Duren Area Hight
13 11/21/44 Koblenz Hight
14 11/26/44 Hamm Lovett
15 11/27/44 Bingen Jepson
16 11/30/44 Lutzkendorf Myers
17 12/04/44 Mainz Pearsall
18 12/06/44 Merseburg Pearsall
19 12/11/44 Koblenz/Giessen Armstrong
20 12/12/44 Dormstadt Pearsall
21 12/18/44 Mainz Pearsall
22 12/24/44 Babenhausen Pearsall
23 12/28/44 Koblenz Pearsall
24 12/30/44 Mannheim Pearsall
25 12/31/44 Wenzendorf - Stade Pearsall
26 01/01/45 Dollbergen Pearsall
27 01/02/45 Nalbach-Neunkirchen Chandler
28 01/03/45 Koblenz Minker
29 01/05/45 Waxweiler Pearsall
30 01/06/45 Worms Pearsall
31 01/08/45 Frankfurt Baird
32 01/10/45 Karlsruhe Baird
33 01/13/45 Mainz McClanahan
34 01/14/45 Madgeburg Jessen
35 01/16/45 Dessau Dewey
36 01/20/45 Heilbronn Baird
37 01/29/45 Kassel Blecha
38 02/03/45 Berlin Shepard
39 02/16/45 Wesel & Rheine Hampton
40 02/18/45 Wesel Wagner
41 02/20/45 Nurnburg Beighley
42 02/22/45 Aalen Johnson
43 02/24/45 Bremen Russell
44 02/25/45 Neuberg Baird
45 02/26/45 Berlin Reck
46 02/27/45 Leipzig Baird
47 03/07/45 Datteln Baird
48 03/08/45 Frankfurt Blecha
49 03/09/45 Frankfurt Shepard
50 03/11/45 Hamburg Baird
51 03/12/45 Marburg Baird
52 03/13/45 Hanover Baird
53 03/15/45 Oranienburg  Shepard
54 03/17/45 Ruhland Baird
55 03/18/45 Berlin Beighley
56 03/19/45 Zwickau Beighley
57 03/20/45 Hamburg Beighley
58 03/21/45 Wittmundhaven Haynes
59 03/23/45 Holzwickede Wolf
60 03/24/45 Varrelbusch Beighley
61 03/28/45 Hanover Hayes
62 04/04/45 Kiel Russell
63 04/05/45 Nurnburg Shepard
64 04/07/45 Schwerin Coleman
65 04/09/45 Newburg A/F Lustig
66 04/10/45 Brandenburg Lustig
67 04/11/45 Inglostadt A/F Montague
68 04/14/45 Royan Area Lustig
69 04/15/45 Royan Area Lustig
70 04/16/45 Royan Area Lustig
71 04/17/45 Dresden Lustig
72 04/20/45 Neuruppin Lustig
73 04/21/45 Inglostadt  Lustig
Blonde Bomber II completed her tour and returned to the US in July 1945.  She was scrapped at Kingman in 1946.


Blond Bomber II was featured in the painting "Return to Rattlesden"
by Nicolas Trudjian.

See also: 43-37869 Blonde Bomber