Robert Bain                                                                                              Updated:  10 JAN 2012

Airman: o888182.htm Surname: Bain Init: R Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 364

P_link: p297.htm Plane: B17 42-31427 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: The Baltic Sea

Crash_d: d110444 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

B17 42-31427 startede fra basen Chelveston den 11. april 1944 på bombetogt til Poznan her. Flyet nødlandede på havet omkring her.

"Flyet blev ramt af flak over målområdet og en propel blev kantstillet (så luftmodstanden og brændstofforbruget blev mindre). Under returflyvningen forlod flyet formationen, hvorfra det blev observeret, at besætningen kastede forskellige ting ud fra flyet for at gøre det lettere. Piloten kaldte over radioen og meddelte, at han forsøgte at nå Sverige. Ca. 30 sømil øst sydøst for Tejn slap besætningens held op, og Pilot, 1st Lt Calvin Vance Jr. foretog en perfekt nødlanding nær nogle bornholmske fiskekuttere.

Fra kutteren "Dannebrog" så man, at flybesætningen på 10 mand gik i en gummibåd, medens flyet sank. Fiskeskipper Ejner Valdemar Nielsen gik til undsætning og fik samlet alle de nødstedte op. Da et tysk skib bevogtede fiskepladsen, var der imidlertid ikke andet at gøre end at sætte kursen mod Tejn (here), hvor tyskerne stod klar. Klokken godt 9 om aftenen vendte den udsendte tyske patrulje tilbage til Rønne med de tilfangetagne amerikanere." (FT 87-92-4)

Før fangerne blev ført bort klarede en ung dansker at få deres navne og skrive dem ned.
Flyverne blev ført til Dulag Luft Oberursel til forhør og efter nogle få dage videre til andre krigsfangelejre.
Hulsey, Bishop, Bain og Bernier blev sendt til Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf nær Krems i Østrig. (Kilde: AOD)

Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning,  Tegning af besætningen på en B-17 og Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk. 10 flyvere.

On 11 April 1944 B17 42-31427 started from the air base Chelveston  on a bombing raid to Poznan  here. The plane ditched about here.

"The plane was hit by flak over the target area and a propeller was feathered (to reduce air resistance and fuel consumption). During the return flight the plane left the formation, from which it was seen that the crew dropped various items from the plane to reduce its weight. The pilot called on the radio and announced that he would try to reach Sweden. The crew´s luck ran out about 30 nautical miles east southeast of Tejn, and Pilot, 1st Lt Calvin Vance Jr. ditched perfectly near some fishing boats from Bornholm.

From the cutter "Dannebrog" they saw that the crew of 10 airmen entered a dinghy, while the plane was sinking. Fishing skipper Ejner Valdemar Nielsen came to the rescue and picked up all the airmen in distress. However, as a German ship guarded the fishing area there was nothing for it but to set the course for Tejn (here), where the Germans were ready. At about 9 p.m. the German patrol returned to Rønne with the captured Americans." (FT 87-92-4)

Before the prisoners were taken away a young Dane managed to get their names and put them down in writing.
The airmen were taken to Dulag Luft Oberursel for interrogation and after a few days they were sent on to other POW camps.
Hulsey, Bishop, Bain and Bernier were sent to Stalag 17B Braunau Gneikendorf near Krems in Austria.  (Source: AOD)

This B-17 belonged to 364th Bombardment Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group, 40th Combat Bombardment Wing, 1st Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force.
305th Bombardment Group * 305th Bomb Group * 305th Bomb Group - Can Do * Drawing of the crew of a B-17 * Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk. 10 airmen.