Andrea Alcarese                                                                                       Updated: 10 OCT 2022 

Airman: o888208.htm Surname: Alcarese Init: A Rank: S/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 561

P_link: p268.htm Plane: B17 42-39894 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Brahesholm, 1 km N

Crash_d: d200244 Buried_d: o888 C_link: o888.htm At_Next: POW

 "Ved middagstid den 20. februar 1944 blev en amerikansk B-17 bomber angrebet af tyske jagere. Flyet, der var på vej til Poznan (her) i Polen, eksploderede
i luften og styrtede ned (her) ved Brahesholm, nordøst for Assens. Der var 10 mand ombord." (FAF) Se en øjenvidneskildring.

Den 24. februar 1944 ved daggry blev der på Assens Kirkegård begravet 6 af de nævnte flyvere (Cole, Ellis, Pappalardo, Kelley, Swanson og Tucker)
og nogle ligdele som Ukendt amerikansk flyver. (Kilde: AOD og FAF)
Da amerikanernes grave blev tømt i 1948 og indholdet overført til Ardennes American Cemetery i Belgien fandt man der beviser
for at dele af Payne, Zumbolo og White også havde været begravet i Assens. (Kilde: AOD)                 

"Haleskytten, S/Sgt Andrea Alcarese, blev hårdt såret indlagt på Assens Sygehus, men senere overflyttet til Tyskland.
Mindesten på nedstyrtningsstedet (her)." (FT 85-78-25) Se også Luftkampen over Vestfyn den 20. Februar 1944 hos Toldstrupselskabet.                 

Anders Bjørnvad nævner at 316 B-17 Flyvende Fæstninger passerede hen over Danmark ved middagstid den dag. Se Google Map p266-270 20FEB44
Skudt ned over DK: B17 4239894 Brahesholm, B17 4231126 Bellinge, B17 4237951 Haldagerlille og B17 42-37790 Haarslev. Nødlandet: B17 4230246 Tirstrup.
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.

"At noon on 20 February 1944 an American B-17 bomber was attacked by German fighters. The plane, heading for Poznan in Poland (here), exploded in the air
and crashed (here) at Brahesholm, northeast of Assens. There were 10 men aboard." (FAF) See an eye witness account.

At dawn on 24 February 1944 in Assens Cemetery 6 of the airmen (Cole, Ellis, Pappalardo, Kelley, Swanson and Tucker) were buried and some parts of bodies
were buried as Unknown American Airman. (Source: AOD and FAF).
When the American graves were emptied in 1948 and the contents were transferred to Ardennes American Cemetery in BELGIUM
evidence was found there that parts of Payne, Zumbolo and White also had been buried in Assens. (Source: AOD)

"Tail Gunner, Staff Sergeant Andrea Alcarese was severely injured taken to Assens Hospital, but later transferred to Germany.
Memorial stone at the crash site (here)." (FT 85-78-25)

316 B-17 Flying Fortresses passed Denmark at noon on 20 February 1944. (Source: Anders Bjørnvad) See Google Map p266-270 20FEB44.
Shot down over DK: B17 4239894 Brahesholm, B17 4231126 Bellinge, B17 4237951 Haldagerlille og B17 42-37790 Haarslev. Crash landed: B17 4230246 Tirstrup.

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.
B17 42-39894 was from 561 BS, 388th Bomb Group, 45 CBW and 3 BD. This B-17 Flying Fortress took off from RAF Knettishall - USAAF Station 136.
See also 388th Bombardment Group Association.
10 airmen.