Den 29. april 1944 kl. 14.05 styrtede
B17 42-31241 ned i Ødegaard,
her
efter et bombetogt til Berlin. Se også
Google Map p307.
Zoom.
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Over målet blev flyet ramt af flak, og no. 4 motor
måtte stoppes p.g.a. brandfare. Flyet blev ledsaget af
to P-51 i ca. 10 minutter, hvorefter bombeflyet nu satte kurs
mod
Sverige i stor højde. Over
Storstrømsbroen blev flyet angrebet af en
Me110 i ca.16.000 feet's højde, medens de samtidig blev beskudt af flak fra
broen.
Den tyske jager blev ramt og styrtede ned i Vålse Vig, samtidig med at
den amerikanske besætning sprang ud med faldskærm.
Flere landede i det kolde vand i
Vålse Vig og 5 druknede. Co-piloten Robert R.
Kerr fik hurtigt kontakt med modstandsbevægelsen i området, og den 29. maj var
han allerede tilbage i England.
Det tomme fly fortsatte i en svag bue fra Vålse
Vig til Tårs Vig, nord om Sakskøbing og mod øst, og ca. 5 km NØ for Sakskøbing
havde det omsider tabt så megen
højde, at det styrtede ned i »Ødegård«, der blev
svært beskadiget." (FT 86-92-28)
2nd Lt (Pilot) Howard J. Bohle, 2nd Lt
(Navigator) John K. Brown, 2nd Lt (Bomb Aimer) Joseph J. Nevills og S/Sgt (Engineer)
Laurence W. Rice sprang ud over Vålse Vig. 2 af dem landede i vandet og 2 andre
på marker. De 4 flyvere blev snart fanget af tyskerne. (Kilde: AOD) De kom i
Tyske krigsfangelejre.
4 flyvere fra
B17 42-31241 blev begravet på Svinø Kirkegård, 4 blev
krigsfanger, 1 har ingen kendt grav og 1 flyver nåede Sverige. Mere ved hver
flyver.
10 flyvere.
On 29 April 1944 at 14.05 hours
B17 42-31241 crashed into the farm Ødegaard,
here
after a bombing raid on Berlin. See also
Google Map p307.
Zoom.
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
"The plane was hit by flak over the target and
engine no. 4 had to be stopped due to danger of fire. The plane was accompanied
by 2 P-51s for about 10 minutes. Then the bomber headed for Sweden at a great
height. Over the bridge
Storstrømsbroen it was attacked by a
Me110 at a height
of about 16,000 feet while they were fired at from the bridge. The German
fighter was hit and crashed into the Vålse Vig, while the American crew bailed
out. Several of them landed in the cold water of the Vålse Vig and 5 drowned.
Co-Pilot Robert R. Kerr soon made a contact with the resistance movement in the
area, and on 29 May he was already back in England. The empty plane continued in
a slight curve from Vålse Vig to Tårs Vig, north of Sakskøbing and to the east.
At about 5 km north east of Sakskøbing it had gradually lost so much altitude
that it crashed into the »Ødegård« which was heavily damaged." (FT 86-92-28)
2nd Lt (Pilot) Howard J. Bohle, 2nd Lt
(Navigator) John K. Brown, 2nd Lt (Bomb Aimer) Joseph J. Nevills and S/Sgt (Engineer)
Laurence W. Rice bailed out over
Vålse Vig. 2 of them landed in the water and 2 of them in fields. Soon the 4
airmen were captured by the Germans. (Source: AOD)
They were taken to
German POW-Camps.
4 airmen from
B17 42-31241 were buried in Svinø Churchyard, 4 became
POWs, 1 has no known grave and 1 airman reached Sweden. More at each airman.
This
B-17 belonged to
427 BS, 303
BG, 41 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of USAAF. It took off from RAF Molesworth
- USAAF Station 107.
See 303rd Bomb Group Heavy with a
Mission Report No. 144 of Apr
29 1944 about this crew. See also B17s in airmen.dk and a
drawing of the crew of a
B-17.
10 airmen.
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