John Richard Vlymen Jr   Photo 23 MAY 2009    Updated:  29 JAN 2012
                                                                             
Airman: a061001.htm Surname: Vlymen Jr. Init: J R Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 563

P_link: p283.htm Plane: B17 107076 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: The Baltic Sea

Crash_d: d090444 Buried_d: b020844 C_link: c061.htm At_Next: Nykøbing F

”Mere end 500 amerikanske bombefly passerede den 9. april 1944 hen over den sydlige del af Danmark på vej til bombemål i Polen og Tyskland. En halv snes amerikanske fly nedstyrtede på Lolland eller i havet omkring Lolland-Falster. (Se 8 af de tabte fly:  Google Map 9APR1944.)

Hen på eftermiddagen styrtede to fly i havet øst for Falster, et af dem ud for Bøtø. Fra det ene af
dem sprang to mand ud med faldskærm, fra det andet 5-6 mand.

Et af disse fly må antages at have været B17 107076 på vej hjem fra Poznan (her) i Polen.

Et besætningsmedlem fra dette fly, J.R. Vlymen Jr., blev senere fundet omkommet i havstokken
ved Bøtø. (Omkring her)

Han blev begravet den 2. august 1944 kl. 5 om morgenen, hvor 8 tyske soldater ankom til kirke-
gården og gravede en grav på det anviste sted. Jordpåkastelsen foretoges af den stedlige katolske præst. Kirkegårdens graver, R. Larsen, deltog også i højtideligheden.

Inden formiddagen var gået, var graven smykket med både små blomsterbuketter og kranse med
bånd i rød-hvid-blå farver, hvilket ikke behagede tyskerne. For at forhindre yderligere blomster-
hyldest blev der sat vagt ved graven.

Tyskerne satte et birketræs kors med navneplade på graven. Dette blev efter krigen erstattet af et monument bekostet af Nykøbing F. Marineforening.

Hele resten af besætningen, 9 mand, omkom. Heraf blev en flyver fundet i juni 1944 og begravet
på Svinø Kirkegård. Han opgives at være fundet ved/ ud for Stovby.” (FAF)
Sgt. A. Waluck blev fundet i vandet, måske omkring her.

J.R. Vlymen Jr. er en af de 5 amerikanske flyvere, der stadig hviler på en kirkegård i Danmark.
Second Lieutenant John Richmond Vlymen Jr. var Co-Pilot på B17 107076. (Kilde: MACR)                   He died that we might live
                                                                                                                                        Rejst af Marineforeningen - Erected by the Mariners´ Association.

Se tegning af besætningen på en B-17, Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk samt B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner. 10 flyvere.

”More than 500 American bombers passed the southern part of Denmark on 9 April, 1944 on their way to targets in Poland and Germany. About 10 American
planes crashed on Lolland or in the sea around Lolland-Falster. (See 8 of the lost planes: Google Map 9APR1944.)

In the afternoon two planes crashed into the sea east of Falster, one of them off Bøtø. Two men bailed out with parachutes from one of them, from the other 5-6 men.

One of these planes is considered to have been B17 107076 on its way back from Poznan (here) in Poland.

A member of the crew from this plane, J.R. Vlymen Jr.,was later found perished on the beach at Bøtø. (About here)

He was buried on 2 August, 1944 at 5 a.m. where 8 German soldiers arrived at the cemetery and dug a grave at a place shown to them.
The local Catholic priest officiated at the graveside. The gravedigger of the cemetery,  R. Larsen, also participated in the ceremony.

Before noon the grave was decorated with both small bunches of flowers and wreaths with ribbons in red-white-blue colours, which did not please the Germans.
To prevent further floral tributes a guard was placed at the grave.

The Germans placed a cross of birch tree with a nameplate on the grave. After the war this was replaced with a monument paid for by the Nykøbing Falster Association
of Mariners.

The rest of the crew, 9 men, perished. One of these was an airman found in June 1944 and buried in Svinø Churchyard. Records say that he was found at/off Stovby.”
(FAF)
Sgt A. Waluck was found in the water, maybe about here.

J.R. Vlymen Jr. is one of 5 American airmen who still rest in a churchyard in Denmark.
Second Lieutenant John Richmond Vlymen Jr. was the Co-Pilot of B17 107076. (Source: MACR)           

See a drawing of the crew of a B-17, Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 was from 563rd Bomb Squadron, 388th Bomb Group, 45 Combat Bombardment Wing, 1 Bombardment Division of 8 AF, USAAF.
See also  388th Bomb Group * 563d Flying Training Squadron * 388th Operations Group. It took off from  RAF Knettishall - USAAF Station 136. 10 airmen.