B 17F 42-30772 - The Baltic Sea                                                             Updated:  15 JAN 2012

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
u097001.htm Baker D L Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 b070244 c097.htm (Søby)
o888596.htm Cliffe H 1stLt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 o888 o888.htm POW
e777658.htm Frank G J T/Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777661.htm Frazier T D S/Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
o888597.htm Fullerton J A 2ndLt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 o888 o888.htm POW
e444044.htm Goldberger H L S/Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e444 e444.htm GERMANY
e777659.htm Hull C W 2ndLt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777660.htm Jaskiewicz A C T/Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777662.htm Robinson R R S/Sgt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN
e777657.htm Walsh T E 1stLt USAAF 323 p232.htm B17 42-30772 Bomb G The Baltic Sea d091043 e777 e777.htm NO KNOWN


"Den 9. oktober 1943 angreb USAAF med 378 4-motorede bombefly flyfabrikker i den østlige del af Polen og Østpreussen, samt havnefaciliteter i Gdynia og Danzig. Både på udturen og hjemturen passerede formationerne Danmark, hvor tyske jagermaskiner angreb bomberne." (FAF)

Under en mission til Anklam i Tyskland den 9. oktober 1943 styrtede en ”Flyvende Fæstning” B17 42-30772 i Østersøen.

En af flyets skytter, D.L. Baker, blev af en dansk fisker fundet drivende mellem Ærø og Als, måske omkring her. Begravelsen i Søby fandt sted 3 dage senere den 7. februar 1944 uden gejstlig medvirken eller ceremonier af nogen art.
Da sognepræst H.S. Bårris forlangte at foretage begravelsen eller i det mindste være til stede ved denne, blev han truet med nedskydning af en tysk løjtnant Rottgard fra Oldemarkslejren. Den følgende søndag holdt sognepræsten mindegudstjeneste. Egnens befolkning havde da dækket graven med et væld af blomster. (Kilde: FAF)
"Kun to fra besætningen klarede at springe ud med faldskærm, da flyet pludselig gik i mange stykker. Begge overlevende samlet op af tysk redningsfartøj." (MACR)

6 flyvere fra B17 42-30772 har ingen kendt grav. 1 blev begravet i Søby og 1 i Tyskland. 2 blev reddet og sendt til Tyske krigsfangelejre.
Se Tegning af besætningen på en B-17*Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk*B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner*B-17 Flyvende Fæstning. 10 flyvere.

"On 9 October, 1943 USAAF attacked aircraft factories in the eastern part of Poland and East Prussia together with harbour facilities in Gdynia and Danzig with 378 4-engined bombers. Both on the way out and the way home the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters attacked the bombers." (FAF)

During a bombing raid to Anklam in Germany on 9 October, 1943 a ”Flying Fortress” B17 42-30772 crashed in the Baltic Sea.

One of the gunners, D.L. Baker, was found by a Danish fisherman drifting between Ærø and Als, maybe around here. The burial in Søby took place 3 days later on 7 February, 1944 without ecclesiastical assistance or any kind of ceremonies.
When vicar H.S. Bårris demanded to carry out the burial or at least to be present at it, a German lieutenant Rottgard from the Oldemark barraks threatened to shoot him down. On the following Sunday the vicar held a memorial service. Residents of the area had then covered the grave with a sea of flowers. (Source: FAF)
"Only two of crew succeeded in bailing out due to the suddenness of plane breaking up. Both survivors picked up by German rescue vessel." (MACR)

6 airmen from B17 42-30772 have no known grave. 1 was buried in Søby and 1 in Germany. 2 were rescued and taken to German POW-Camps.
See Drawing of the crew of a B-17 * Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk * B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 was from the 323rd Bomb Squadron of the 91st Bomb Group. It took off from RAF Bassingbourn. See also 323d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron.