Den 9. april 1944 styrtede
B17 42-39936 ned ved Meltofte på Lolland.
Se
Google Map p280.
Det var på hjemturen fra et bombetogt til Poznan (her).
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver (navne fra MACR - Missing Air Crew Report):
"Under angreb fra flere FW 190 blev
flyets to inderste motorer skudt i brand, og den
midterste del af kroppen blev også ramt kraftigt, hvorved både navigator 2ndLt
William D. Abernathy og left waist gunner Raymond E. Raley omkom.
- - - Netop som S/Sgt. Charles F. Hopper (engineer/top turret gunner)
sprang over
Arninge, begyndte det tyske flak i Nakskov at skyde efter flyet, og han blev
ramt i den ene arm af sprængstykker. Flyet fortsatte
mod Halsted og eksploderede i ca.
200 meters højde, hvorefter vragdele styrtede ned nordøst for det daværende
alderdomshjem i Meltofte og ca. 1 km syd for landevejen mellem Nakskov og
Maribo. -"
(FT 86-91-25)
2nd Lt (Navigator) William D. Abernathy
har ingen kendt grav.
Hans navn findes på Tablets of the Missing,
Cambridge American
Cemetery, England.
Han kom i tjenesten fra Texas. Hæderstegn:
Air Medal med Oak
Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart.
(Kilde: ABMC)
3 flyvere fra
B17 42-39936 blev begravet på Svinø, 1 på Agersø og 1
i Dannemare. 1 har ingen kendt grav. 4 blev krigsfanger.
Se
B-17 Flyvende
Fæstning
* B17 i airmen.dk *
tegning af
besætningen på en B-17.
10 flyvere.
On 9 April 1944
B17 42-39936 crashed near Meltofte on Lolland.
See
Google Map p280.
It was on the
return flight from a bombing raid on Poznan (here).
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes (names from MACR - Missing Air Crew
Report):
"The two inner engines of the plane caught fire after hits from a number of
attacking FW 190s.
Also the middle section of the fuselage was heavily hit and navigator
2ndLt William D. Abernathy and left waist gunner Raymond E. Raley perished. - - - Just as S/Sgt Charles F. Hopper (engineer/top turret
gunner) bailed out over Arninge, the German flak in Nakskov started firing at
the plane and he was hit in one arm by splinters of shells. The plane flew on
towards Halsted and exploded at
an altitude of about 200 m. Debris fell north east of the then Old People's Home
in Meltofte and about 1 km south of the road between Nakskov and Maribo. - "
(FT 86-91-25)
2nd Lt (Navigator) William D. Abernathy
has no known grave.
His name is inscribed on Tablets of the Missing
at
Cambridge American
Cemetery, England.
He entered the Service from Texas.
Awards:
Air Medal with Oak
Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart.
(Source: ABMC)
3 airmen from
B17 42-39936 were buried in Svinø Churchyard, 1 in Agersø
and 1 in Dannemare Churchyard. 1 has no known grave. 4 became POWs.
This B-17 was
from 728 BS,
452 Bomb
Group (Heavy), 45 CBW, 3 BD. See
452nd Bombardment Group.
It took off from RAF
Deopham Green - USAAF Station 142. See also B17s in
airmen.dk and a
drawing of the crew of a
B-17.
10 airmen.
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