B 17G 42-31126 - Near Bellinge                                                                 Updated: 10 AUG 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
o888164.htm Bonner K H S/Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888165.htm Chinni J J S/Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888161.htm Ferrici B E S/Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888159.htm Jacobs D D 2ndLt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888162.htm Jones K H Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888160.htm McCollester C W 2ndLt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
u069025.htm Morse W T T/Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 b220444 c069.htm Odense
u069024.htm Osness W E 2ndLt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 b220444 c069.htm Odense
o888158.htm Reed R F 1stLt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW
o888163.htm Rowling W J S/Sgt USAAF 560 p270.htm B17 42-31126 Bomb G Near Bellinge d200244 o888 o888.htm POW


Den 20. februar 1944 blev formationen af B-17 bombefly på vej til Posen (Poznan) i Polen angrebet at større styrker af tyske jagere, og B17 42-31126 blev svært beskadiget af 20 mm granater. Under angrebet blev T/Sgt (Top Turret Gunner) William Thomas Morse dræbt. Den højre vinge brød i brand, og flyet gik i spin.
Piloten gav ordre til udspring, men før alle havde sprunget eksploderede flyet. 2nd Lt (Co-Pilot) Wyman Edwin Osness kom ikke ud af flyet. Han omkom.
De 8 andre besætningsmedlemmer overlevede. (Kilde: FT 85-78-24)  Mere i p270MACR.

Se monument for de 2 flyvere rejst her ved Vibækvej 16, (gården Lykkenssæde her) 5250 Odense SV omkring 200 m fra nedstyrtningsstedet (her - kilde: Olaf Meitzner) omkring 3 km sydvest for Bellinge (her).

"De to flyvere (Morse og Osness) blev begravet den 22. februar 1944 ved 7-tiden om morgenen. Tyskerne havde oplyst de danske myndigheder om, at begravelsen
skulle finde sted kl. 08.30, men lavede om på tidspunktet for at undgå dansk deltagelse ved bisættelsen.

En tysk officer holdt en kort tale, hvorpå kisterne sænkedes under militær honnør, dog uden æressalut. Tyskerne nedlagde ingen krans, fra dansk side var der
dog fortsat nedlæggelse af signerede kranse fra Odense byråd, politimesteren i Odense og fra personalet ved Odense kirkegårde.” (FAF)
Osness og Morse blev hjemført i maj 1948, i første omgang til Ardennes American Cemetery i Belgien.

"3 besætningsmedlemmer blev taget til fange øjeblikkeligt, medens 5 forsøgte flugt. Efter 3 dage blev den sidste, T/Sgt (Radio Operator) H. J. Jones, taget til fange
nær Faaborg (her)." (FT 85-78-24) Se tegning af besætningen på en B-17 fra siden B-17 Flying Fortress. En side på dansk: B-17 Flyvende Fæstning.

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 Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk samt B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner.
10 flyvere.

On 20 February 1944 the formation of B-17 bombers targeting Poznan in Poland was attacked by German fighters, and B17 42-31126 was severely damaged by
20 mm shells. T/Sgt (Top Turret Gunner) William Thomas Morse was killed during the attack. The right wing caught fire and the plane went down in a spin. The pilot
ordered the crew to bail out, but before everyone had left the plane it exploded. 2nd Lt (Co-Pilot) Wyman Edwin Osness did not get out of the plane. He perished.
More in p270MACR.

See monument to the 2 airmen erected here at Vibækvej 16, (the farm Lykkenssæde here) 5250 Odense SV about 200 m from the crash site (here - source:
Olaf Meitzner) app. 3 km south west of Bellinge (here).

"The two airmen were buried on 22 February 1944 at about 7 a.m. The Germans had informed the Danish authorities that the funeral would take place at 08.30,
but changed the time to avoid Danish attendance at the burial.

A German officer delivered a short speech, and while the coffins were lowered, the Germans handsaluted, but there was no firing of a salute of honour. The Germans
laid no wreath. From the Danish side inscribed wreaths were subsequently laid from the City Council of Odense, the police commissioner in Odense and from the
staff of Odense Cemeteries.” (FAF)
Osness and Morse were taken home in May 1948, in the first place to Ardennes American Cemetery.

"3 crew members were captured immediately, while 5 attempted an escape. 3 days later T/Sgt (Radio Operator) H. J. Jones was the last of them to be captured near Faaborg (here)." (FT 85-78-24) See B-17 Flying Fortress, the queen of the skies and a drawing of its crew.
See Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.

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 from RAF Knettishall - USAAF Station 136 belonged to 560 BS, 388 BG, 45 CBW, 3 BD, 8AF of USAAF. See also 388th Bomb Group Association.10 airmen.