Little Patches - 91st Bomb Group (H)

Little Patches

324th Squadron

Lt. Majors' Crew

Begin the Beguine

Serial # 42-31678 DF-L

Back Row - Left to Right

S/Sgt. John Pertuett, Asst. Engineer/Right Waist Gunner; S/Sgt. Earl Doughtery, Ball Turret Gunner; T/Sgt. Rollie C. Hill, Radio Operator; T/Sgt. George W. Parks, Engineer/Top Turret Gunner; S/Sgt. Leland Fleming, Left Waist Gunner; S/Sgt. Robert Smith, Tail Gunner

Front Row - Left to Right

Lt. Rocky Rasmusen, Navigator; Lt. William Majors, Pilot; Lt. Lloyd Keller, Co-pilot; Lt. Charles Mooney, Bombardier

Photo contributed by Leonard Contreras

Little Patches Factoid - This photo was taken 10 May 1944. In February 1944, the 91st Bomb Group (H) 324th Bomb Squadron, first crew of "Little Patches" and this B-17G was transferred to the 401st Bomb Squadron at the end of April 1944 with part of her first crew and Captain Thomas H. Gunn as her pilot.

"Little Patches" got her name because of a flak hole, and when repaired, "Little Patches" was painted sitting on the "Repair Patch."

Another crew with 15 to 18 missions was the Buchanan Crew. August 1944 to 2 November 1944. Crew members were: Buchanan, Pilot (Massachusettes); Johnson, Co-pilot (California); Henritzy, Navigator (Pennsylvania); Fredrickson, Bombardier (Kansas); Weston, Top Turret Gunner (San Angelo, Texas); Samuel Harris, Radio Operator; Cummins, Ball Turret Gunner (West Virginia); White, Waist Gunner (West Virginia); White, Waist Gunner (New Jersey); Van Loo, Tail Gunner (Ohio).