2nd Lt Sheldon I. Vernon, B-17 pilot 384th Bomb Group (H), 8th Air Force, Grafton-Underwood, England 1943-1944 - birdshooter

2nd Lt Sheldon I. Vernon, B-17 pilot 384th Bomb Group (H), 8th Air Force, Grafton-Underwood, England 1943-1944

The Crew who Flew with Lt.Vernon
Lt. Sheldon Vernon is in the first row, middle with the garrison cap. The son of his bombardier, Gabe Farazzi, sent this photo of the crew. Gabe Farazzi is also in the first row, on Vernon's immediate left. Thank you Jim Farazzi. I know Sheldon would love to see this.
Photo of the B-17 "HOTNUTS" which carried Lt Vernon and his crew into combat for 30 missions He said that the maintenance crew named the plane because they would stay longer and the plane would be passed on to another crew. He and his crew had made plans to complete their 30 mission and they were planning to rotate back to the US which they did in May 1944. The plane was eventually flown back in 1945 and mothballed in Arizona.
When General Jimmie Doolittle took command of the 8th Air Force in 1943 he changed the "tour of duty" from 25 missions to 30. This is the list of missions then 2nd Lt. Vernon flew. On 24 April, Vernon flew as the Navigator and Lt. James Foster was the pilot because Foster needed to be checked out in the left seat of a B-17.
Wings Over Houston Air Show