Article & Artifacts: Fred H. Henry – World War II Hero

April 2018 – This post has been updated with new material. Heidi came across a number of documents on the web (www.Fold3) that relate to Fred’s mission on July 9, 1944 over Romania. See the gallery below.
The Info tab on the plane photograph has these notations –

“Fire breaks out on a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress of the 15th AAF while on a mission to blast targets at Ploesti, Rumnaia, on July 9, as heavy bombers keep hammering away at the Hun’s oil and rail points. A few minutes after this picture was taken”

Also this: “9 July 1944: the official caption doesn’t begin to tell the whole story. B-17G serial 42-102925 of the 347th Bomb Sq, 99th BG was 30 minutes away from the target, the crew began to smell gasoline fumes; while a fire erupted in the #3 engine, another fire started in the cockpit. In the confusion, seven men bailed out – including the copilot and a photographer. Feathering the prop, pilot 1LT Frederick H. Henry, the navigator, engineer and radio operator put out the cockpit fire & flew safely home (MACR 6517).”

Also this: “Broken oil line on #3 engine – wing is not on fire, just trailing flames from burning oil. 7 crew members bailed out without orders (including Co-Pilot who panicked).”

Read more about Fred’s amazing WWII missions (50 missions!) in his own words in this “Chronology of Military Service of Frederick Hawley Henry of Geauga Lake, Ohio In World War II 1941-1944 and Award to him of the Distinguished Flying Cross”
Download a PDF version of this scanned copy – 8 pages

Thank you KC for sending these items about your Dad. I am blown away at his descriptions of the missions. He succeeded in telling of some his horrendous experiences in very few words. Honestly, I think they could/should made a movie of this. Linda

Following is the text and photo from a local newspaper article, not dated but probably during 1944. KC

“We received a dispatch from the 15th A.A.F. in Italy. It gave the following news about 1st Lt. Fred H. Henry, of Geauga Lake who has been having rather exciting adventures to put it mildly. He is the pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress and once brought his plane back when it was swept from nose to tail by fire. He recently flew his 50th long range mission in the Mediterranean Theater. On July 9th mission to Ploesti, Rumania, Henry’s right inboard engine caught fire an hour from the target, covering the ship with flames which seared through the fuselage into the nose and tail sections. Seven crew men were forced to bail out to escape the flames. Henry put out the engine fire while three other crewmen battled the interior flames. The ship left formation and headed home, running into a flak barrage which shattered an oil line and covered the plane with flying oil. But it reached home base safely. The pilot began combat flying March 30th with an attack on rail yards at Sofia, Bulgaria and since has ranged over targets in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and the Balkans. He participated in the first shuttle mission to Russia and flew his 50th mission, also to Ploesti, on July22. He wears the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. Lt. Henry is the son of Charles A. Henry of Geauga Lake and was graduated from Hiram in 1941. He is the grandson of Judge F.A. Henry of the Chagrin Falls, Banking Co. Trustees.”