The Rest of the Story: The “All American” B-17 and a Burlington Hero

One of the most iconic photographs from the Second World War shows the remarkable survival of a severely damaged Boeing B-17 bomber, known as the “All American.”

 

The “All American” was part of the 97th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force, stationed in England. On this mission, the crew was assigned to bomb the German-occupied city of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia in North Africa.

As the bomber formation neared their target, they faced intense anti-aircraft flak. After releasing their bombs, the group was immediately attacked by German ME-109 Messerschmitt fighter planes. The German fighters employed a head-on assault tactic—one of the most dangerous approaches.

During the dogfight, one of the ME-109s was hit. Out of control, it spiraled into the formation and collided with the All American.

The German fighter disintegrated on impact, but not before tearing a massive gash in the B-17’s fuselage and shearing away parts of its tail. Incredibly, the bomber’s pilots managed to maintain control. However, the damage forced them to slow down, and soon they fell behind the rest of the formation, flying alone toward home.

Inside the damaged aircraft, a crisis unfolded.

The tail gunner was trapped—there was no longer a floor connecting the tail to the rest of the plane. Attempts to move him only caused the weakened tail to flap dangerously. In fact, the weight of the gunner himself was helping to stabilize the entire rear section.

Thinking quickly, the crew scavenged parts from the wrecked German fighter and used their parachute harness cords to try and brace the fractured airframe. Meanwhile, many critical systems—including the radios, electrical wiring, and oxygen supply—were damaged or inoperative.

Despite everything, the All American limped back across hostile skies toward England.
Two and a half hours after the collision, they reached home base. With great skill, the pilots lined up the battered aircraft for an emergency landing. As the wheels touched down, the entire rear section finally gave way, collapsing onto the ground.

Miraculously, every single crew member survived without injury.

Witnesses could hardly believe the sight of such a mangled plane managing to fly—let alone land safely.

 

And Now… the Untold Part of the Story

One of the crew members aboard the All American that day was Elton Conda, who manned the ball turret during the mission.

Born in 1920, Elton Conda was a lifelong resident of Burlington, New Jersey. After completing his combat tour in the war, he returned home safely. But his service to the community didn’t end there.

Elton Conda went on to have a remarkable civilian career, becoming the longest-serving surrogate in the history of New Jersey. He was elected to that role and proudly served for an incredible forty years.

Mr. Conda passed away in 2006, leaving behind a legacy of courage, service, and dedication—both in wartime and in peace.