On February 3, 1945, a well-aimed round of German anti-aircraft fire slammed into the Rose of York just as she released her payload over Berlin. The B-17 Flying Fortress shuddered, her airframe badly damaged, but her engines kept turning and her crew kept her in the air. She turned with the rest of the formation and headed back toward England, wounded but still flying. It would be the last time anyone saw her intact.

Nearly everyone knows Queen Elizabeth II, but many forget that she became princess and first in line to the throne in 1936. During World War II she was a key figure in the royal family, serving a substantial role in the war effort through propaganda and morale for the troops stationed in her country. When England began to see heavy bombing from the Luftwaffe in 1940, it was suggested that Elizabeth, then fourteen years old, and her sister be evacuated to Canada for their safety. Her mother refused the idea outright and demanded that they remain in England.

Because of this, Elizabeth made it a priority to aid in the war effort in whatever ways possible. This began as early as 1940, when she gave her first speech on BBC Radio, specifically designed to boost the morale of British children who had been forced to evacuate during the bombings of London and the surrounding area. As the war went on and she became an adult, the young Princess Elizabeth began to visit troops and service members across her country to encourage them in their struggle. These visits would continue throughout the remainder of the war, but one of them in particular would stand out as a major part of this story.

That visit took place on July 6, 1944, when she went to see the 306th Bomb Group, which had decided to name one of its B-17 bombers after her royal highness. The aircraft was B-17 serial number 42-102547 and was originally dubbed Princess Elizabeth. Unfortunately, this original name was not met with approval from officials, who feared the repercussions of naming an aircraft directly after a member of the royal family. It was thought that there could be negative propaganda if such an aircraft were lost in combat, a trophy the enemy could claim as a major victory.

The aircrew, not wanting to fully abandon their idea, instead opted to change the name of their Flying Fortress to the Rose of York. This was deemed acceptable, and the title was added to their B-17 along with an elegant rose painted on the fuselage. The princess had a celebrated visit to the airbase where the 306th were stationed. She even christened the new B-17 herself, taking pictures with many of the American commanders and airmen present.

Then the Rose of York took off to enter the war. She performed her duty well in some of the most gruesome air combat in history. The renowned B-17 completed sixty-two missions over Europe in the next six months, striking targets of value all over German-occupied territory. Her initial crew completed their tour of duty with flying colors and were relieved by a new group of American airmen, who quickly resumed their success.

The Rose of York was proving to be well worth the honor of her namesake. But on February 3, 1945, that would change. On this day, under the orders of Eighth Air Force Commander Jimmy Doolittle, a mission was set to raid deep into Germany. It would see a massive force of American firepower take off from England and strike deep into the heart of the Reich, right upon the capital city of Berlin.

These were the most dangerous missions for the B-17s, because it meant that the airmen had to fly across many miles of German territory that was littered with anti-aircraft units desperately trying to defend their nation. Nonetheless, the Rose of York and the rest of the 306th embarked upon this assignment as they had done many times before. All was well for the first leg of the journey, but over Berlin the anti-aircraft fire began to get very thick. A well-aimed round hit the Rose of York around the time that she released her payload, dealing significant damage to her airframe.

But she carried on. As they turned back toward England, the situation worsened. With the Germans now knowing that the B-17s would be passing back over their territory on their journey home, the intense flak only got worse. Here, yet again, another round of anti-aircraft fire scored a direct hit on the Rose of York.

The aircraft was still flying but lost significant speed and was losing altitude fairly quickly. She was left behind by the rest of the formation and was forced to try to make it back to England on her own. Shortly after this, she made her final radio contact. Her crew reported that they had lost one of their four engines and that another was streaming fuel.

Tragically, no one would ever hear from the crew members of the Rose of York again. Her fate is not fully known. No wreckage of the iconic aircraft was ever located, but it is believed that while she attempted to fly back home, she likely crashed into the English Channel. In the loss of this B-17, nine American airmen were likely killed in the crash or shortly after.

In addition to the crew, a well-known BBC war correspondent by the name of Guy Byam was also on board this Flying Fortress during its last mission. His lengthy career as a reporter in the thick of battle included being one of the few survivors of the HMS Jervis Bay, which was sunk by a submarine in the North Atlantic in 1940. He also jumped into Normandy with the airborne troops on D-Day, as well as during Operation Market Garden. Unfortunately, he, along with the Rose of York and her nine crew members, have never been found and have since been listed as killed in action.

Their legacy lives on. Her combat record stands as a compelling tribute to the one and only Queen Elizabeth II, and to the men who flew her into the heart of the enemy and never came home.