HISTORY OF THE B-17E 

"My Gal Sal"

The Flying Fortress

     There were 12,731 B-17 Flying Forts built during World War II. "My Gal Sal" serial #9032 was one of the 512 E-models built by the Boeing Aircraft Corporation of Seattle, Washington in 1941. She is the only complete combat configured E-model to survive and is one of the most rare B-17's of the 40 or so left in the world. 

     The B-17 was an impressive bomber. It carried one .30-caliber and ten .50- caliber machine guns. It could well defend itself when flying alone, but when used in a tight flight formation on bombing runs, its main defense relied mostly upon each other. This fire power gave this plane the name of a flying fortress. 

     The B-17, with its supercharged Wright Cyclone engines could fly at an altitude of 35,000 feet. It seemed indestructible with its ability to absorb amazing amounts of enemy gunfire and still return its crew safely home. It was also well-known for its ability to safely land with its gear up. 

     "My Gal Sal" was one of the first four of a flight of B-17's assigned to the 342nd Squadron of the 97th Bomb Group on their way to Polebrook, England to join the 8th Air Force. "Operation Bolero" was the name given to the Ferry Operation beginning in 1942 using the Great Northern Back Door to Europe. Air bases for refueling were just being completed. This construction signified the beginning of mass flights of up to 1,000 aircraft a month. Fueling stops were located at Goose Bay, Labrador; Southern Greenland; Iceland; and then on to England. 

     To expedite the operational commitment in delivering these bombers as fast as they came off the U.S. production lines, the Army Air Corps made the decision to deliver combat ready planes with air crews to their assigned combat bases in Europe. 

     Not knowing what these planes would. encounter after reported sightings of German Focke Wulf 'Condor' observation planes in Northeast Greenland, the B-17's would carry live ammunition for their 50-caliber machine guns. However, due to their weight, live bombs were not carried in order to carry extra fuel in their bomb bays for their long Trans-Atlantic flights.

The Greenland Bases

     The Greenland Air Bases to be used for refueling were already under construction during 1941 in preparation for these mass ferry flights. The main air base for all Greenland operations was located at the head of Narsarsuaq Fjord (61.10'N 45.25'W) in Southwestern Greenland and code-named Bluie West One (BW-1). 

     An alternate field at the head of Sondrestrom Fjord (66.59'N 50.40'W) was called Bluie West Eight (BW-8) located approximately 35-miles north of the Arctic Circle. 

     In anticipation of aircraft mechanical problems during these mass flights, and due to Greenland's unforgiving weather, terrain and treacherous shoreline, LT. Col. Bernt Balchen was given the responsibility of supervising the building of Bluie West 8. LT. Col. Balchen, an expert arctic survivalist, pilot, and former member of the famed Byrd Antarctic and Amundsen / Lincoln-Ellsworth expeditions ,utilized Consolidated PBY Amphibian planes, a Noorduyn Norseman C-64 and dog sleds to rescue downed pilots and crews from the icecap. Small J2F amphibian planes operating from Coast Guard Cutters were also used.

The Bolero Operation

     After preliminary training of "My Gal Sal's" crew at MacDill Field, near Tampa, Florida, and a short assignment to the West Coast they returned to Presque Isle, Maine, for their departure to Europe. It was here that they were prepared for their overseas assignment. The first leg of their journey to Goose Bay, Labrador was uneventful. Then on June 26th, 1942 the first 13 planes began their take-off at three-minute intervals for Greenland. Some of the planes began experiencing heavy cloud cover as early as fifteen minutes into their flight. Five returned to Goose Bay due to the bad weather, and only five would ultimately make it to their BW-1 destination in Greenland arriving there at 2:40 am on the morning of June 27th. Due to bad weather three B-17's "Alabama Exterminator", "My Gal Sal", and "Sooner"- (while looking for their refueling base) ran out of fuel and were forced to ditch. 

     My Gal Sal" ditched on the icecap at latitude 65.21'N longitude 45.53'W on June 27, 1942. Command Pilot, LT. Ralf Stinson, and the crew developed a plan with the hope of being found and rescued. Their plan was to take a hand held hacksaw and cut the tips off the propeller blades of #4 engine. With the prop tips removed, they were hoping to free the prop from the ice, start the engine, (with the little fuel they had remaining) and run the generator to power their radio. This was accomplished after a day and a half of cutting the prop tips off by hand. A radio signal received by both BW-1 and BW-8 stated the plane was down on the icecap. Six Navy planes, three from each base began the search.

     Naval LT. George Atteberry from BW-1 flying Navy PBY-5A #93-P-9 initiated an air search and located "My Gal Sal" and her crew. From BW-1 drops were made of food, arctic clothing and supplies to the survivors. Due to the inaccessibility of its location from either coast, and the mountainous terrain and ice crevasses, it was the opinion that the rescue could only be accomplished by landing a plane on the icecap. However, no plane equipped with skis was readily available and with the condition of the icecap being crevassed and very slushy, it was impossible to land an aircraft on wheels.

Rescue Operations Begin

     On July 3rd the rescue team, while surveying by air, observed that the melting ice and snow was forming a small lake in a basin on the cap about 12 miles away (65.27'N 49.29'W) from the downed B-17. The water in the lake was estimated to be sufficient for an amphibian PBY airplane to land. A timed run showed the lake to be 1.8 miles long at an altitude of 4200 feet. After the timed run, the PBY returned immediately to base BW-8 and removed much of its equipment, such as its bombsight, stabilizer, guns, ammunition, oxygen equipment, anything that could safely reduce its weight. Equipment that was left on board included radio (intact), emergency rations, 7-man life raft, 200-foot manila line, four sets of skis, and emergency supplies. The PBY rescue crew was made up of the pilot, Naval LT. Dick Parunak; co-pilot, ENS. John C. Snyder; LT. Col. Bernt Balchen, and two crewmen. The PBY was fueled to only 500 gallons which was deemed sufficient for a 200-mile round trip. The plane was also loaded with equipment for a base camp to be set up at the lake. In addition supplies such as food and snowshoes for the stranded crew were also loaded. 

     The rescue party with the base camp equipment landed on the lake and was put ashore via life raft. The remaining equipment was then flown and dropped to the B-17 survivors. Sergeant Dolleman made base camp while Colonel Balchen and Sergeant Healy prepared to go in on skis to rescue the crew of "My Gal Sal". LT. Parunak returned to the base.

     On July 4th, an attempt was made to again fly over "My Gal Sal" but the PBY was forced to return to base camp because of bad weather. The weather also prevented the ground rescue party led by Colonel Balchen from reaching the B-17. On the morning of July 5th, the rescue party finally reached the B-17 after a difficult trip made so by glacier rivers, soft ice and open crevasses. By radio they requested assistance of the PBY to guide them out of the crash site by a higher and a more desirable route back to the lake where the rescue base camp was located. In the evening of the same day, the return trek started. Routes were mapped from the air by the PBY showing lakes, rivers and crevasses to be avoided and to approximate distances to be covered by foot. Crude maps were dropped by the PBY to the party as they progressed. Minor direction changes were given by LT. Paranuk in the PBY by wobbling its wings and circling the rescue party. This procedure was continued until the party reached base camp at 0930 on July 6 The PBY then landed and took off with eight of the rescued aboard. The take-off area was diminished to less than one mile by ice which had drifted into the take-off area on the lake. To reduce the weight and shorten the takeoff distance, 100 gallons of gas was jettisoned and the takeoff was accomplished with only 300 gallons of gas remaining. The PBY pilot, LT. Parunak received 2 medals for his efficient handling of this very risky and dangerous takeoff. The plane landed at BW-8, refueled to 400 gallons and returned to the lake, took aboard the remaining eight people and base camp equipment. The ice by now had drifted to the lake shores and the takeoff was accomplished without incident.

The Disappearing Lake

     One of the challenges of the Greenland icecap is in its ever-changing hostile environment. It is difficult to comprehend and to believe that a few days after the rescue, during a fly-over, the lake that had made the rescue possible, had totally disappeared.

     The surviving crew from "My Gal Sal" were returned to stateside from what turned out to be a 10-day ordeal on the Greenland icecap. 

     "My Gal Sal" was forgotten until early summer of 1964 when it was discovered by a U.S.A.F. reconnaissance flight over the icecap. It was still in fairly good condition, although the tail had been broken off by the constant movement of ice and high winds. In the November 1964 edition of Life magazine an eight page article was written called "The Saga of My Gal Sal" twenty-two years later. In 1965 the Society of Automotive Engineers sent a representative to the isolated site by helicopter to gather samples of hydraulic fluid, rubber, canvas, Plexiglas materials and navigational and aircrew equipment items. These items were desired for laboratory evaluation as to the long-term effects on them by the cold, wet environment of the Arctic. Many significant facts were learned from the evaluation; information that was applied to current programs of that time such as the Titan and Minuteman missiles being maintained in an operational- readiness status in underground silos. These retrieved parts are on display at the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum. 

     Fifty-three years after surviving the ditching on the icecap of Greenland, the B-17E "My Gal Sal" was recovered by renowned salvager, Gary Larkins. She made news in the Virginia Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia on October 1, 1995 when the Icelandic motor vessel SKOGAFOSS arrived in port carrying the salvaged "My Gal Sal". 

     Even after more than half a century of being in the harsh Greenland environment, its metal was in the same condition it was when it crashed in 1942. The main damage to her was done by the high and treacherous arctic winds. The blue and white star, insignia of a U.S. military aircraft, remains visible on the right side of the fuselage. The silhouette of a witch's face is still plainly visible on the fuselage as artwork by its crew prior to its departure from Presque Isle, Maine. 

     Comments by its salvagers were that this was not only the best preserved B-17, but the oldest B-17 ever recovered. "My Gal Sal" had only 224 flying hours before her final flight that ended on the Greenland icecap. 

     It took almost four weeks to dismantle and by helicopter fly her parts off the icecap. She was packed in large containers and shipped by a cargo ship to the U.S. It was off loaded in Norfolk, VA and shipped by trucks to Tillamook, Oregon where she sat for five years. 

     On March 14, 2000 she was purchased by Bob Ready, a local Cincinnatian, who will restore her and display her sifting on her belly where she came to her final rest on that eventful day, June 27, 1942.

Number of B-17's Built