Quick Search
 359th Baltes Crew
George E. Baltes, Pilot
 Home About Us Contact Us Donate Newsletters 8th AFHS Links FAQ Facebook Search
 Personnel Aircraft Nose Art B-17 Thunderbird Ground Support Uniforms Journals More Info
 Mission Reports Combat Crews Individual Photos Photos POW KIA MACR Overseas Graves TAPS


GEORGE E. BALTES CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 06 July 1944 - photo: 16 July 1944)



GEORGE E. BALTES CREW - 359th BS
(crew assigned 359BS: 06 July 1944 - photo: Sioux City, IA, May 1944)

(Back L-R) T/Sgt Charles Lloyd Giltenboth (R), 1Lt George E. Baltes (P)
2Lt Robert A. Marble (CP), 2Lt Fred E. Glover (B),
2Lt Edward H. Macaulay (N), T/Sgt John J. Stenger, Jr. (E)

(Front L-R) S/Sgt Milton C. Kanz (BTG),
S/Sgt Austin C. Godsey (WG), S/Sgt Branislaw B. Posluszny (TG)

Not in Photo - Sgt Robert F. Walls (WG)


Thirty six dispatched (35 credited) missions flown by 1Lt George E. Baltes:
First Pilot Missions - 204 (16 July 1944), 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 216, 217, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 227, 228, 229, 233, 235, 237, 238, 239, 240, 242, 243, 246(A), 247, 249, 250(DLC), 251(DLC)258 (17 Oct 1944)
Lead Crew Co Pilot Missions - 223 (8 Aug 1944), 224 ( 9 Aug 1944) and 225 (11 Aug 1944)
(A) Non-Credited aborted mission Nose oxygen system went out (Flight time 4 hrs 13 min)
(DLC) First Pilot Deputy Lead Crew Mission. For mission date and targets see Combat Missions.

Nineteen B-17Gs flown by 1Lt George E. Baltes on his 36 dispatched missions:

  • 42-31405 Wallaroo Mk II (359BS) BN-X - Missions 204, 210,
  • 42-31183 Bad Penny (359BS) BN-J Mission 205, 209
  • 42-38050 Thunderbird (359BS) BN-U - Mission 206
  • 42-97944 Daddy's Delight (359BS) BN-I - Missions 207, 233
  • 43-37537 Queen of Hearts (359BS) BN-Q - Missions 208, 222, 258
  • 42-102496 Special Delivery (359BS) BN-M - Missions 211, 217
  • 42-31483 Bonnie-B (359BS) BN-B - Mission 212
  • 42-107206 Old Black Magic (359BS) BN-R - Missions 213, 221, 235
  • 44-6309 Duchess' Granddaughter (359BS) BN-T - Missions 216, 220
  • 42-31117 Lonesome Polecat (359BS) BN-L - Mission 219
  • 42-102484 Heller's Angel (359BS) BN-K - Missions 223, 224, 238, 240
  • 42-97781 The '8' Ball MkIII (359BS) BN-O - Missions 227, 228, 239, 243
  • 44-6076 Leapin Liz (359BS) BN-Y -Mission 229
  • 42-31830 Marie (359BS) BN-N - Mission 237
  • 42-102945 Sweet Pea (358BS) VK-M - Mission 249
  • 44-8326 (No name) (359BS) BN-S - Mission 242
  • 43-38609 (No name) (359BS) BN-F - Missions 246(A), 247
  • 44-8137 (No name) (359BS) BN-Z (PFF) - Mission 251
  • 42-97691 (No name) (427BS) GN-F (PFF) - Mission 225
Crew Notes:
  • 1Lt George E. Baltes (P) - First mission (204) flown with a combat Orientation CoPilot, 2Lt John W. Reed. Three missions (223, 224, 225) flown as CoPilot with Lead Crew Pilots and crews. All other missions flown as First Pilot. Completed 35 mission combat tour on 17 Oct 1944 (Mission 258).
  • 2Lt Robert A. Marble (CP) - All missions flown as CoPilot. Stood down on 1Lt Baltes missions 223, 224, 225). Flew on one mission (204) with 1Lt William A. Arnold (P). Completed combat tour (33 credited missions) on 17 Oct 1944 (Mission 258).
  • 2Lt Edward H. Macaulay (N) - Did not fly with 1Lt Baltes on 7 missions (223, 224, 225, 240, 247, 249, 258). Flew with other pilots on five credited missions: With 2Lt Paul M. Mowrey (226); With 1Lt Garland M. Whitlock (240, 244, 247, 249). Completed combat tour (33 credited missions) on 5 Oct 1944 (Mission 251).
  • 2Lt Fred E. Glover (B) - Did not fly with 1Lt Baltes on 11 missions (223, 224, 225, 235, 237, 238, 240, 247, 249, 250, 258). Flew with 1Lt Garland M. Whitlock (P) on five missions ( 238, 240, 244, 247, 249). Completed combat tour (30 credited missions) on 15 Oct 1944 (Mission 251).
  • T/Sgt John J. Stenger (E), T/Sgt Lloyd Giltenboth (R), S/Sgt Milton C. Kanz (BTG), S/Sgt Austin C. Godsey (WG) and S/Sgt Branislaw B. Posluszny (TG). All missions flown with 1Lt Baltes. Combat tours completed on 17 Oct 1944. Stood down on following missions with 1Lt Baltes: T/Sgt Stenger (E) and S/Sgt Godsey (WG) - 33 credited missions (223 & 224 not flown); T/Sgt Giltenboth (R) and S/Sgt Posluszny (TG) 32 credited missions (223, 224 & 225 not flown); S/Sgt Kanz (BTG) 31 credited missions (223, 224, 250 & 251 not flown) - Missions 250 and 251 flown by 1Lt Baltes without a Ball Turret Gunner.
  • Sgt Robert F. Walls (WG) - Was an original crewmen. Deleted from crew before they arrived at Molesworth, when crew size changed from 10 to 9 men.
Local Transition Training Mission Note:
15 October 1944. 1st Patrick H. Brabant, an experienced 359th BS Pilot, was giving 2Lt Robert A. Marble local transition training in #42-38050 Thunderbird (359BS) BN-U. While practicing a landing CoPilot 2Lt Robert A. Marble hit hard and short of the runway and broke the landing gear drag link. 1Lt Brabant applied full power and took off. They circled the Molesworth airfield for 6 1/2 hours to consume gasoline. 1Lt Brabant made an excellent one-wheel landing. The B-17G swerved off the runway as speed was lost. See the crash photos here.

[photo courtesy of C. Lloyd Giltenboth]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]