Spaulding Herbert William

Monuments

B-17s Chicken Ship, Scarlet Harlot, & Raven's Nest Crash Memorial -457th Bomber Group

Name:

Herbert William Spaulding

Rank:

Second Lieutenant

Serial Number:

Unit:

749th Bomber Squadron, 457th Bomber Group

Date of Death:

1996-01-06

State:

New York

Cemetery:

Saint Mary's Cemetery, DeWitt, Onondaga County, New York, USA

Plot:

Section 95

Row:

Lot 209

Grave:

Decoration:

Comments:

Herbert William Spaulding was born on March 22, 1916, in Syracuse, Onondaga County, New York. He was the son of Arthur William Spaulding and Elizabeth M. Murphy Spaulding. He was married to Annabelle Ralph Spaulding. Herbert served in the 749th Bomb Squadron, 457th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Second Lieutenant and Bombardier of B-17 (42-97537) known as "Chicken Ship" during World War II.

On April 9, 1944, during a mission targeting Marienburg (now Malbork, Poland), the plane encountered heavy enemy resistance. After taking flak damage over the target area, "Chicken Ship" lost engine power and fell behind its formation. Three German Focke-Wulf FW 190 fighters attacked, striking the aircraft and forcing the crew to abandon it. All of the crew parachuted safely and became POWs except Flight Engineer Fasone who was instantly killed.

2Lt Spaulding was captured by German forces and imprisoned at Stalag Luft 1 near Barth, Western Pomerania, Germany. Spaulding died on January 6, 1996, and is now buried in the Saint Mary's Cemetery, DeWitt, Onondaga County, New York, USA.

Source of information: b17flyingfortress.de, www.sonsoflibertymuseum.org/