Harold W. Nininger                                                                               Updated:  03 JAN 2012

Airman: o888166.htm Surname: Nininger Init: H W Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 715

P_link: p306.htm Plane: B24 41-29479 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Poulsker

Crash_d: d290444 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

B24 41-29479 "Gypsy Moth" var den 29. april 1944 med start fra basen Seething på bombetogt til Berlin. (Kilde: FT 87-93-6)
Flyet styrtede ned her ved Jomfrugård, Strandmarksvejen 7, 3730 Nexø omkring 2 km syd for Poulsker. (Kilde: Niels Christian Pihl)

"Under indflyvningen til målet blev flyet ramt af flak, og bombelugerne kunne ikke åbnes ved hjælp af automatik. Med håndkraft blev de dog åbnet og med noget besvær
blev bombelasten derefter kastet. Efter passage af Berlin fik flyet alvorlige motorproblemer, og ud over Østersøen fløj man på kun en motor. Piloten gav derfor ordre til
at forlade flyet, så snart man var inde over land igen. Over Poulsker (omkring her) sprang den første mand fra 3400 fods højde (1000 m) og den sidste, piloten, sprang i
2400 fods højde (700 m). (Ved denne flyver ses kun hans historie. Se resten ved B24 41-29479.)

Læge Helge Nielsen, Pedersker, så flyet styrte ned. Han startede omgående sin vogn og kørte i retning af nedstyrtningsstedet. I nærheden af det brændende vrag fandt
han Left Waist Gunner S/Sgt Harold Nininger, der var bevidstløs. Flyveren blev bragt til en nærliggende gård, og en ambulance fra Rønne (her) blev tilkaldt, men
desværre blev den på tilbagevejen standset af en tysk patrulje, der beordrede den til det tyske lazaret på Galløkken kaserne (ved Rønne her, nu
Danhostel Rønne Vandrerhjem)." (FT 87-93-6) 10 flyvere.

Starting from Seething Airfield on 29 April 1944 B24 41-29479 "Gypsy Moth" was on a bombing raid to Berlin. (Source: FT 87-93-6)
The plane crashed here at Jomfrugård, Strandmarksvejen 7, DK-3730 Nexø about 2 km south of Poulsker. (Source: Niels Christian Pihl)

"The plane was hit by flak on its approach to target, and the bomb hatches could not be opened automatically. However, they were opened by hand and then the bomb
load was dropped with some difficulty. Having passed Berlin the plane had serious engine problems, and over the Baltic Sea only one engine worked. The pilot ordered
that the plane was to be abandoned as soon as they were over land again. The first man bailed out over Poulsker (about here) at an altitude of 3400 feet and the last,
the pilot, bailed out at an altitude of 2400 feet. (At this airman you only read the story of him and his companion. See the others at B24 41-29479).

Doctor Helge Nielsen, Pedersker, saw the plane crash. He started his car immediately and headed for the crash site. Near the burning wreck he found Left Waist
Gunner S/Sgt Harold Nininger, who was unconscious. The airman was taken to a farm nearby, and an ambulance from Rønne (here) was called, but unfortunately it
was stopped on its way back by a German patrol and ordered to drive to the German field hospital at Galløkken barracks (at Rønne here, now
Danhostel Rønne)." (FT 87-93-6)

This B-24H Liberator belonged to 715th Bombardment Squadron, 448th Bombardment Group, (Heavy) 8th Air Force. See 8th Air Force in World War II. 10 airmen.