The table below shows all the USAAF bombing raids that Joe flew.
As you can see, Joe’s first mission flown was to Saint-Omer, France on May 13th 1943. He later participated in the Schweinfurt Regensburg mission on August 17th, led by Curtis LeMay.
Mission List
| MMDDYY | Target(s) | Aircraft | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05-13-43 | Saint-Omer, France | 229780 | Co-pilot |
| 05-14-43 | Antwerp, Belgium | 25795 | Co-pilot |
| 06-11-43 | Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 23202 | Co-pilot |
| 06-25-43 | Bremen, Germany | 230182 | Pilot |
| 06-29-43 | Le Mans, France | 230219 | Pilot |
| 07-04-43 | La Pallice, France | 230182 | Pilot |
| 07-14-43 | Le Bourget, France | 230182 | Pilot |
| 07-24-43 | Trondheim, Norway | 230182 | Pilot |
| 07-25-43 | Kiel (Warnemunde), Germany | 230182 | Pilot |
| 07-28-43 | Oschersleben, Germany | 230182 | Pilot |
| 08-12-43 | Bonn, (Wesseling), Germany | 230182 | Pilot |
| 08-15-43 | Merville-Lille Vendeville, France | 230182 | Pilot |
| 08-17-43 | Regensburg, Germany | 230182 | Pilot |
| 08-31-43 | Lille Meulan, France | 230182 | Pilot |
| 09-09-43 | Paris (Beaumont-sur-Oise), France | 230634 | Pilot |
| 09-15-43 | Paris (Billancourt), France | 23266 | Pilot |
To reiterate, the final mission of the Joe Noyes crew was to Paris (Billancourt), France, on Wednesday, Sept. 15th 1943. They were on board the Sittin’ Bull, because Blondie II spun a prop upon takeoff. Joe made the call to continue with the mission, and took a different plane.
After hitting their target, the formation of B-17s were about 15 miles off Beachy Head and returning to base, when he was seen to lose altitude and leave his position. Witnesses during post-mission interrogation reported that all his engines were operational.
The mystery of what happened to the Joe Noyes crew is hidden deep beneath the water of the English Channel, but there are plenty of theories about their fate.
Harry M. Conley thought that they might have turned back to the continent and bailed out to avoid ditching in the water.
After learning about First Lieutenant Sell W. South being forced to ditch The Myrtle, after flak damaged the B-17s control cables — a harrowing event that Billie E. Clapper survived, it’s also possible that this scenario played out.
Since nobody actually saw the Joe Noyes crew after they left formation, the speculation continues to this day. The truth is somewhere in the English channel, and may never be found.