Neil E. Ryers                                                                                             Updated: 10 MAY 2012

Airman: o888185.htm Surname: Ryers Init: N E Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 327

P_link: p271.htm Plane: B17 42-31377 Operation: Attack DK Crash_site: Near Hørdum

Crash_d: d220244 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

B17 42-31377 med navnet Pot O´Gold var 22. februar 1944 sammen med en del andre fly på bombetogt til Aalborg West Lufthavn (her) som afledningsmanøvre
for et større bombetogt mod Ruhr-området i Tyskland. Dårlig sigtbarhed forhindrede flyene i at bombe lufthavnen. På tilbagevejen blev dette fly beskadiget af tyske
Me109 og Ju88 over Nordsøen, så Pilot 2nd Lt W.R. Lavies valgte at vende om for at nødlande i Thy (omkring her). Alle 10 flyvere sprang ud med faldskærm. Flyet
styrtede ned her ca. 500 m nordvest for Koustrup Møllegård, Damsgårdvej 3, Sønderhå, 7752 Thisted (Kilde: Niels Møller).
En vinge styrtede ned ved gården omkring her. Se dele af flyet B17 42-31377 "Pot O' Gold" på gårdspladsen. 9 af flyverne landede på jorden.

Næste dag blev de 9 overlevende besætningsmedlemmer sendt med tog til Tyskland, hvor de blev forhørt i Dulag Luft Oberursel, inden Schrenk og andre kom til
Stalag Luft VI og senere Stalag Luft IV. Alle overlevede krigen, men i maj 2008 var kun en enkelt flyver og Lester Schrenk tilbage.
Se meget mere ved Lester Schrenk og Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk samt B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner.

Staff Sergeant Neil E. Ryers var Top Turret Gunner. Se tegning af besætningen på en B-17. 10 flyvere.

On 22 February 1944 together with a number of other planes B17 42-31377 "Pot O´Gold" was on a bombing raid to Aalborg West Airfield (here) as a diversion for
a greater bombing raid to the Ruhr area in Germany. Bad visibility prevented the planes from bombing the airfield. This plane was damaged on the return flight by
German Me109s and Ju88s over the North Sea, so Pilot 2nd Lt W.R. Lavies decided to return to crash land in Thy (about here). A Ju88 kept firing and all 10 airmen
bailed out. The plane crashed here about 500 m northwest of Koustrup Møllegård, Damsgårdvej 3, Sønderhå, 7752 Thisted (Source: Niels Møller). A wing crashed at
the farm about here.  See parts from the plane B17 42-31377 "Pot O' Gold" in the yard. 9 of the airmen landed on the ground.

Next day the 9 surviving crew members were sent by train to Germany, where they were interrogated in Dulag Luft Oberursel, before Schrenk and others were taken
to Stalag Luft VI and later to Stalag Luft IV. All of them survived the war, but in May 2008 only a single airman and Lester Schrenk were left.
See much more at Lester Schrenk and Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.

Staff Sergeant Neil E. Ryers was the Top Turret Gunner. See a drawing of the crew of a B-17.

Eighth Air Force Historical Society, 92 BG * 8 Air Force, 1 BD, 40 CBW, 92 BG *  RAF Podington * Life at Podington
92nd USAAF-USAF Memorial Association with Missions 1944, see Losses 22 FEB 1944. See a painting of Pot O' Gold. 10 airmen.