| Original caption: “Air Crew Near an American Red Cross Clubmobile.” The crew of the Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress serial number 41-9020 of the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group, nicknamed “Phyllis,” receives coffee and doughnuts after a mission from an American Red Cross “clubmobile” bus. Clubmobile buses were often present across Europe, even outrunning the German Ardennes offensive, leaving Bastogne a few hours before it was encircled. B-17E 41-9020 was accepted by the United States Army Air Force at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington, on March 12, 1942. Assigned to the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bomb Group, she flew to McDill Field in Tampa, Florida, on March 13, and then Sarasota Field, Florida, on March 29, 1942, for training. She flew to the San Antonio Air Depot at Duncan Field, San Antonio, Texas, on May 15; 10 days later, she flew to the Air Service Command at Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio. On May 31, she flew shuttle missions to Maine, landing at Presque Isle Field and Dow Field, now Bangor International Airport. On June 2, 1942, 41-9020 and the 97th Bomb Group became part of the 4th Air Force. The same day, 41-9020 was ferried from Dow Field to Westover Field in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. 41-9020 flew across the United States, from Westover to Scott Field, Belleville, Illinois, on June 4; Albuquerque Air Force Base, New Mexico, on June 5; and Hammer Field in Fresno on June 6, 1942. It returned to Dow Field in the same manner, departing on June 11 and arriving by June 15. These flights were training the crew in long-distance navigation and aircraft operation. Operation Bolero moved the 97th Bomb Group to the United Kingdom. Using Call Sign F7XMJ, 41-9020 left from Presque Isle Field, Maine, on June 28, and arrived in Goose Bay, Labrador; Patterson Field, Reykjavik, Iceland; and finally arrived at Station 500 in Prestwick, Scotland, on July 8, 1942. Assigned to VIII Bomber Command, the 97th Bomb Group operated out of Station 110 in Polebrook in July 1942. Collided with 41-9051, losing much of her rudder, but was repaired. Transferred to the 92nd Bomb Group at Station 112 in Bovingdon on August 25, 1942. The photo was taken sometime during this period, when 41-9020 landed in Alconbury after a mission. 41-9020 flew in Operation Wildflower on October 24, 1942. On April 18, 1943, 41-9020 was transferred to the 303rd Bomb Group. Now war weary, she was stripped of her guns and used as a “hack” – a plane for getting around to different bases – and a target tug. She was renamed “Tugboat Annie.” Assigned to Station 107 at Molesworth, Huntingtonshire, she was the only B-17E model there. On May 2, 1943, she was painted in bright striped colors so she could be easily seen. Other 303rd Bomb Group aircraft would form up on her to create the formation that the unit would use for mutual protection from fighters, so that their 50 caliber (12.7 millimeter) M2 Browning machine guns could provide mutual defense. Once the formation was in place, 41-9020 would land. On July 19, 1944, 41-9020 was temporarily transferred to the 2nd Strategic Air Depot at Station 107 at Abbots Lipton. She returned to the 303rd Bomb Group on July 21. 2 days later, she was piloted by Major Louis M. Shulstad Jr. (March 9, 1918 – January 6, 2012) and co-piloted by Captain Harry M. McDaniel (October 2, 1917 – December 8, 1967) for a cross-country sortie to Kings Cliffe and back, where P-51 fighters were based. “Tugboat Annie” crashed and was seriously damaged during landing at Molesworth. Shulstad, known for his safety protocol, had unscrewed the “gear down” warning light because it was too bright during the overnight flight. He hadn’t properly locked the gear during the landing. Only the 2 pilots were aboard; both walked away. She was assigned to SOXO (Code name for Zone I, North Britain) for transportation purposes. Written off and condemned on July 26, 1944. Salvaged by the 2nd Strategic Air Depot and taken to the scrap metal yard behind Marshall’s Garage at Cambridge Airport. The yard was cleared in March 1946. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2031.jpg |
| Image Size | 693.32 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2904 x 2176 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Franklin D. Roosevelt Library |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 1, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | Alconbury |
| State or Province | Cambridgeshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NLR-PHOCO-A-48494(18) |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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