Oather G. Meese                                                                                     Updated:  01 JAN 2012
Airman: o888009.htm Surname: Meese Init: O G Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 728

P_link: p280.htm Plane: B17 42-39936 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Meltofte

Crash_d: d090444 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

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. - - - De tre sidste (S/Sgt (Radio Operator) Timothy J. Nunan, S/Sgt (Ball Turret Gunner)
Bernard H. Brand og S/Sgt (Tail Gunner) Oather G. Meese) sprang ud syd for Tillitse, og efter kort tid blev de taget til fange af tyskerne. - " (FT 86-91-25)

S/Sgt (Tail Gunner) Oather G. Meese gik alene mod øst. Han blev fanget nær Berritsgård ved Sakskøbing.
Han blev sendt til Tyske krigsfangelejre. Efter forhør i Oberursel blev han sendt til Stalag 17B. (Kilde: AOD)

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. - - - The last three (S/Sgt (Radio Operator) Timothy J. Nunan, S/Sgt (Ball Turret
Gunner) Bernard H. Brand and S/Sgt (Tail Gunner) Oather G. Meese) bailed out south of Tillitse. After a short while they were captured by the Germans. - "
(FT 86-91-25)

S/Sgt (Tail Gunner) Oather G. Meese walked alone to the east. He was captured near Berritsgaard at Sakskøbing.
He was taken to German POW-Camps. After interrogation at Dulag Luft Oberursel he was taken to Stalag 17B. (Source: AOD)

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.