B 24H 41-29479 - Near Poulsker        See also p341  LAN NE167                               Updated: 12 AUG 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
a073002.htm Ambrosini H J T/Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 b020544 c073.htm Pedersker
v999027.htm Bobst R L 2ndLt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
v999023.htm Derosier L M 2ndLt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
v999025.htm Heikkila A L Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
v999028.htm Howard O T 2ndLt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
v999024.htm Hutchins W L S/Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
o888167.htm Jones S E S/Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 o888 o888.htm POW
v999026.htm Leonard R D T/Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 v999 v999.htm EVD to S
o888166.htm Nininger H W S/Sgt USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 o888 o888.htm POW
o888168.htm Verran T J F/O USAAF 715 p306.htm B24 41-29479 Bomb G Near Poulsker d290444 o888 o888.htm POW


B24 41-29479 "Gypsy Moth" var den 29. april 1944 med start fra basen Seething på bombetogt til Berlin + mere. (Kilde: FT 87-93-6) Mere i p306MACR.
Flyet styrtede ned her omkring 100 nord for 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).

Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt Harry J. Ambrosini blev dræbt i faldet (her), da hans faldskærm ikke foldede sig ud, og han blev nogle dage senere begravet på Pedersker Kirkegård.

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).

Helge Nielsen blev derefter tilkaldt til andre sårede flyvere på nærliggende gårde. På St. Myregård (her) lå Nose Turret Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Jones, der havde fået en alvorlig hjernerystelse, og han førtes til Rønne af en ambulance, der ligeledes omdirigeredes til Galløkken af tyskerne. En anden flyver, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt William L. Hutchins, var ikke værre tilredt end at han iført civilt tøj kunne begive sig mod Bølshavn (her).

På Boesgård (her) lå Co-Pilot F/O Thomas Verran, der var landet i et træ (her) og havde slået lænd og sæde. En undersøgelse viste dog, at han ikke havde noget benbrud, og kort efter var han haltende på vej til Bølshavn. Ved ankomsten til Bølshavn var han imidlertid så forpint, at han bad nogle af beboerne om at ringe efter tyskerne.

Efter nogle dage var fem af besætningsmedlemmerne nu samlet i Bølshavn, og kort efter sejlede Louis Olsen dem fra Tejn (her) til Sverige i kutteren "Codan". (Det var Bombardier 2nd Lt Laurin M. Derosier, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt William L. Hutchins, Tail Gunner Sgt Albert L. Heikkila, Radio Operator T/Sgt Russell D. Leonard og Navigator 2nd Lt Robert L. Bobst.) Det sidste besætningsmedlem, Pilot 2nd Lt Orland T. Howard, fik man kontakt med kort efter at de andre flyvere var sendt afsted. Man fandt ham på et høloft, og senere blev han kørt til Munck i Bølshavn. Her var han ca. 5 dage, før han med ruteskibet "Carl" (se detaljer om transporten), blev sejlet fra Gudhjem (her - overblik) til Falsterbo (Falsterbokanalen her), hvor han steg over i den svenske lodsbåd. Den 10. maj var Lt. Howard tilbage i England." (FT 87-93-6)

Orland T. Howard, se foto besøgte Bornholm i 1996 og deltog i mindehøjtidelighed i Pedersker. 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) More in p306MACR.
The plane crashed here about 100 m north of 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.

Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt Harry J. Ambrosini was killed on impact (here), as his parachute did not open up, and he was buried some days later in Pedersker Churchyard.

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).

Helge Nielsen was then called to other injured airmen on neighbouring farms. On St. Myregård (here) lay Nose Turret Gunner S/Sgt Stanley Jones, who had had a serious concussion of the brain, and he was taken to Rønne by an ambulance which was also diverted to Galløkken by the Germans. Another airman, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt William L. Hutchins, was injured but was able to head for Bølshavn (here) in civilian clothes.

On Boesgård (here) lay Co-Pilot F/O Thomas Verran, who had landed in a tree (here) and had hurt his loin and buttocks. An examination showed, however, that he had no fracture of his leg, and shortly after he was limping towards Bølshavn. On his arrival at Bølshavn he was so racked with pain that he asked some of the residents to call the Germans.

After some days five of the crew members were now gathered at Bølshavn, and shortly after Louis Olsen sailed them from Tejn (here) to Sweden in the cutter "Codan". (They were Bombardier 2nd Lt Laurin M. Derosier, Right Waist Gunner S/Sgt William L. Hutchins, Tail Gunner Sgt Albert L. Heikkila, Radio Operator T/Sgt Russell D. Leonard and Navigator 2nd Lt Robert L. Bobst.) The last crew member Pilot 2nd Lt Orland T. Howard was contacted by Danes shortly after the other airmen had been sent on their way. He was found in a hayloft, and later he was driven to Munck in Bølshavn. Here he stayed for about 5 days, until the steamer "Carl" on its run to Copenhagen (see details about "Carl") took him from Gudhjem (here - overview) to Falsterbo (Falsterbokanalen), where he entered the Swedish pilot boat. (Text in English without map, the Falsterbo Canal.) On 10 May Lt Howard was back in England" (FT 87-93-6)

Orland T. Howard, see photo visited Bornholm in 1996 and attended a memorial service in Pedersker.
This B-24H Liberator belonged to 715th Bombardment Squadron, 448th Bombardment Group, (Heavy) 8th Air Force. Air Force 448th Bombardment Group. 10 airmen.