NAME | TP | - | M# | SER | - | BLK | - | MF | SERIAL # |
AF |
BG |
BS |
SC | RCL/# | V#-P | PHOTO CREDITS |
RELUCTANT LIZ |
B |
- |
24 |
H |
- |
1 |
- |
DT |
41-28596 |
15 |
449 |
718 |
~ |
38 | 00-1 |
N/A |
Starboard (Right) Side - Lost 4 Apr 44, ROU - MACR 3701 - Pilot William C. Bontly, Jr.
Contributor - Mark
Coffee
Delivered to Bruning, NE, 19 Oct 43, as one of
the original 61 planes of the 449th BG and assigned to
William Bontly's crew. The first few attempts to fly this plane were aborted, for
various reasons, and one of the crew said "this ship is
reluctant to fly!". This became her name, along
with "Liz", who was Bontly's wife. RELUCTANT LIZ flew 22 missions before being downed
by fighters 4 Apr 44, over Bucharest, Romania with 2 KIA,
8 POW. She was one of 7 ships lost that day, by the 449th
Bomb Group, in a 90 minute air battle with an estimated 100+
fighters, which earned the 449th BG the first (of two)
Presidential Unit Citations.
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Best Web. Published on Veterans Day 11/11/97. Last
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11-Dec-2022