Thomas E. MacDonald                                                                           Updated:  09 NOV 2011

Airman: o888302.htm Surname: MacDonald Init: T E Rank: Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 728

P_link: p266.htm Plane: B17 42-37951 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Haldagerlille

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

 B17 42-37951 styrtede ned ved Haldagerlille her den 20. februar 1944 (nærbillede her - Kilde: Henning Madsen).
Se også Venslev.dk med en personlig beretning af Ejvind Friis.


"296 B-17 angreb flyfabrikker i området nær Tutow (her) og enkelte enheder bombede Rostock (her). 6 fly gik tabt pga. Ju88 angreb over Fyn (her) på udturen.
42-37951 blev ramt i venstre vinge, der brød i brand. Pilot, 2nd. Lt. Billy L. Huffman gav ordre til at forlade flyet, der på det tidspunkt befandt sig over Storebælt (her).
Ni faldskærme blev observeret, og fra Sprogø fyr (her) blev rapporteret, at en tysk båd havde samlet to flyvere op, medens det danske fyrskib »No. 4« havde samlet
en flyver op. De to waist gunners, Sgt Thomas E. MacDonald og Sgt George T. Smith, var de eneste overlevende, medens ball turret gunner, Sgt. John Brady, døde
af forfrysninger. Piloten blev i flyet og blev senere fundet omkommet i nærheden af vraget." (FT 88-35-20)
2 flyvere blev ført til Tyske krigsfangelejre.

Der er ingen oplysninger om hvor Thomas E. MacDonald blev ført hen. Se mere om resten af besætningen og flyet ved
B17 42-37951.

Anders Bjørnvad nævner at 316 B-17 Flyvende Fæstninger passerede hen over Danmark ved middagstid den dag. Se Google Map p266-270 20FEB44
Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17.
Skudt ned over DK: B17 4239894 Brahesholm, B17 4231126 Bellinge, B17 4237951 Haldagerlille og B17 42-37790 Haarslev. Nødlandet: B17 4230246 Tirstrup.
10 flyvere.    

B17 42-37951 crashed at Haldagerlille here on 20 February 1944 (at close range here - Source: Henning Madsen).

"296 B-17s attacked aircraft factories in the area near Tutow (here) and a few units bombed Rostock (here). 6 planes were lost due to Ju88 attacks over Fyn (here)
on the outward flight. The left wing of 42-37951 was hit and caught fire. Pilot, 2nd. Lt. Billy L. Huffman gave the order to abandon the plane, which at that time was
over the Storebælt (here). 9 parachutes were observed, and it was reported from the Sprogø Lighthouse (her) that a German vessel had picked up 2 aimen, while the Danish lightship "No. 4" had picked up 1 airman. The two Waist Gunners, Sgt Thomas E. MacDonald and Sgt George T. Smith were the sole survivors. Ball Turret Gunner, Sgt John Brady died of frostbite. The pilot stayed in the plane. He was later found near the wreck." (FT 88-35-20)

2 airmen were taken to German POW-Camps.
There is no information about where
Thomas E. MacDonald was taken to. See more about the rest of the crew and the plane at B17 42-37951.

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.

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.