321stBG,447thBS, Lt Leonard L Shapiro's little Dog, PFC SCRAPPY, KIA on 05 July 1943 on Bombing Mission on the Gerbini Main Satellite #1. The B-25 took a direct hit by enemy flak, and went down in flames, All 5 crew members were killed, as well as Special Assistant, “PFC Scrappy”, The Pilot’s (Lt. Shapiro’s) Little Dog. All 5 Crew Members are buried or memorialized together at Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA.  Pilot: Shapiro, Leonard L. “Shap”, 1Lt; Co-Pilot: Greenwood, Nathan H., 2Lt;  Schulze, George F., S/Sgt; Waldrip, Robert L., T/Sgt; Rider, Lawrence E., S/Sgt; plus PFC Scrappy (Lt Shapiro’s “little dog” / Special Assistant).


Special Assistant KIA 

Original caption: “Following the experience of the Royal Air Force, the Air Corps began issuing flak jackets to aircrews in 1942. These early flak jackets were heavy, consisting of steel plates sown into multi-layered nylon that would catch low velocity fragments. An apron panel was added to increase the protected areas. The vest and apron design was supplemented by a helmet to complete the protection. The heavy protection vest had a pull tab to dump it quickly if the plane ditched in the water or the crew had to bail out.The World War II Air Corps body armor was used by flexible position gunners in four-engine bombers like B-17s and B-24s and by aicrews in medium bombers like the B-26 and B-25.” In the photo, an airman jettisons front and rear body armor by use of the quick release fastener and ripcord.

Flak jackets

Another view of the 398 BG B-17 that took the flak hit. The shell probably burst above the B-17 and downward. A lot of the damage you see may have occured on the flight home with pieces of the damaged plane shredding off, after all the plane was probably flying around 150 MPH. The pictures I saw said that the bomb togglier, S/Sgt. George Abbott was the only one killed. I got this info from: 398.org/images/images_aircraft_b-17/air