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427th Flanigan Crew
Lloyd J. Flanigan, Pilot
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LLOYD J. FLANIGAN CREW - 427th BS
B-17G Better Do'Er #44-6977 427BS (GN-C)
(crew assigned 427BS: 15 Feb 1945)

(Back L-R) F/O Edward J. Heaney (N), 2Lt Lloyd J. Flanigan (P),
F/O James T. Wokersien (CP)(KIA), 2Lt Clifford Steinberg (B)

(Front L-R) Sgt Delbert A. Safley (BTG), Sgt Charles B. Gourley (R),
Sgt John J. Neiswender (TG), Sgt Francis E. McDonald, Jr. (WG/TOG),
S/Sgt Beresford "Barry" B. Gilkes (E)

(Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission.)

[photo from the 303rdBGA Archives - identification by Clifford Steinberg]


LLOYD J. FLANIGAN CREW - 427th BS

(Back L-R) Sgt Delbert A. Safley (BTG), Sgt Charles B. Gourley (R),
Sgt Francis E. McDonald, Jr. (WG/TOG), Sgt John J. Neiswender (TG),
S/Sgt Beresford "Barry" B. Gilkes (E)

(Front L-R) 2Lt Lloyd J. Flanigan (P), F/O James T. Wokersien (CP)(KIA),
F/O Edward J. Heaney (N), 2Lt Clifford Steinberg (B)

(Ranks and grades at time of last combat mission.)

[photo courtesy of Jennifer Adair, granddaughter of Barry Gilkes]



Twenty-two dispatched and credited missions flown by 2Lt Lloyd J. Flanigan:
327 (1 Mar 1945), 318, 329, 330, 331, 333, 334, 335, 338, 339, 341, 342, 343, 345, 347, 349, 350 (3 Apr 1945), 359, 361, 362, 363, 364 (25 Apr 1945).
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions

Fourteen B-17Gs flown by 2Lt Lloyd J. Flanigan on his twenty-two credited combat missions:

  • 42-97311 (P) Shoo Shoo Baby (427BS) GN-O - Mission 327
  • 42-102411 (P) Miss Lace (427BS) GN-X - Missions 328,329 & 330
  • 43-39011 (No name) (427BS) GN-A - Mission 331
  • 43-38958 Green Hill Belle (427BS) GN-X - Missions 347 & 349
  • 43-39220 The Smilie Jack (427BS) GN-G - Mission 333, 334 & 345
  • 43-38621 Ragged But Right (427BS) GN-E - Missions 338 & 339
  • 42-39885 (P) Sweet Rose O'Grady (427BS) GN-R - Missions 341 & 350
  • 43-38763 (No name) (427BS) GN-B - Mission 342
  • 43-37597 (P) Earthquake McGoon (427BS) GN-G - Missions 343 & 359
  • 44-6006 (No name) (358BS) VK-D - Mission 345
  • 44-8710 (P) (PFF) Idle Wheel (427BNS) GN-Y - Mission 361
  • 44-6516 My Darling (360BS) PU-Q - Mission 362
  • 43-38878 (No name) (359BS) BN-D - Mission 363
  • 44-83483 (No name) (427BS) GN-? - Mission 364
    (P) See: Nose Art photos

Crew Notes:

  • 2Lt Lloyd J. Flanigan (P) - First mission flown with Combat Orientation CoPilot 2Lt Jack G. Wilson. All missions flown as First Pilot. Completed 22 credited combat missions on 25 April 1945 (Missioin 364).
  • F/O James T. Wokersien (CP)(KIA) - Flew on 14 credited combat mission with the 2Lt Flanigan crew (328, 329, 330, 331, 333, 334, 335, 338, 339, 341, 342, 343, 345, 347). Killed by a flak fragment hit on his chest on mission 347, 28 March 1945, Landed at airfield A-89 at LeColt, Belgium where F/O Wokersien was taken to British Hospital 101 at Louvain, Belgium. British medics stated that F/O Wokersien had been dead for a long time.
  • F/O Edward J. Heaney (N) - Flew on 21 credited combat missions with the 2Lt Flanigan crew (All Flanigan missions except for mission 349 where a substitute was used). Completed 21 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • 2Lt Clifford Steinberg (B) - Missions flown: Seven with the 2Lt Flanigan Crew (327, 329, 330, 331, 333, 335, 349; Eight with other Pilots (338, 342, 345, 346, 353, 358, 359, 364). Completed 21 credited combat missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • S/Sgt Beresford B. "Barry" Gilkes (E). Flew on 21 credited missions with the 2Lt Flanigan crew (All Flanigan missions except for mission 334 where a substitute was used). Completed 21 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • Sgt Charles B. Gourley (R). Flew on 20 credited missions with the 2Lt Flanigan crew (All Flanigan missions except for missions 363 and 364 where substitutes were used. Completed 20 credited missions on 17 April 1945 (Mission 362).
  • Sgt Delbert A. Safley (BTG) - Flew on all of the 1Lt Flanigan crew missions. Completed 22 credited missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • Sgt Francis E. McDonald (WG/TOG) - Missions flown: Seventeen with the 2Lt Flanigan Crew - As Waist Gunner (327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 334, 338); As Togglier after the crew Waist Gunner position was deleted (339, 341, 342, 345, 350, 359, 361, 362, 363, 364); Three with other Pilots: As Waist Gunner (331); As Togglier (332 and 347). Completed 20 credited combat missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • Sgt John J. Neiswender (TG) - Flew on 21 credited combat missions with the 2Lt Flanigan crew (All Flanigan missions except for 330 where a substitute crewman was used). Completed 21 credited combat missions on 25 April 1945 (Mission 364).
  • Additional Crewmen used on seven of the 2Lt Flanigan combat missions Y-Operator (Mission 327), Spot Jammer Operator (Missions 334, 335, 338, 342, 349), Radio Counter Measure Operator (Mission 339)
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]