SGT Joseph W. Russel served in the 569th Bomber Squadron during WW2. On August 17, 1943 he was the Right-Waist Gunner on B-17 “Battle Queen-Peg of my Heart” (42-30315) of the 569thth Bomber Squadron, 390th Bomber Group- “Wittan's Wallopers”, 8th US Air Force flying out of Framlingham (Airfield 153) Airfield on a bombing mission to Regensburg, Germany. Per Missing Aircraft Report (MACR) 391, “Battle Queen” along with another 126 B-17 Bombers escorted by 207 P-47 Fighters took off to bomb the industrial center of Regensburg. The plan for the planes was to turn south after the bombing raid and land in bases in Northern Africa. After the bombing run, “Battle Queen” was damaged by enemy fighters and hit by flak decided to make an emergency landing in Switzerland. The plane landed in a potato field outside the small town of Utzenstorf. The entire crew were taken as “internees” (considered POWs as of 2013) by Switzerland where they spent the rest of the war.