B-17G 42-38005 Stormy Weather - At Østerholm, Als SDBG*Google Map SDBG-AirmenDK*Stormy Weather 2024 27 SEP 2024

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
o888045.htm Arnold G W 1stLt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888047.htm Belsinger F H T/Sgt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888041.htm Clay R B Capt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888050.htm De Marie M S/Sgt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888043.htm Hatten F 1stLt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888046.htm Jilcott C B T/Sgt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888044.htm Pullen M R 1stLt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888048.htm Surprise D H S/Sgt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888049.htm Travis F L S/Sgt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW
o888042.htm Wimmer J M 1stLt USAAF 509 p326.htm B17 42-38005 Bomb G At Østerholm, Als d240544 o888 o888.htm POW


Gunnar Hounsgaard, der så flyet efter nødlandingen her (nær Erbæk 1, 6440 Augustenborg) og som til sin død i 2019 havde kontakt til overlevende flyvere og deres pårørende, skriver:

"Den 24. maj 1944, kl. 14:25 nødlandede det amerikanske bombefly  ”Stormy Weather” i et lavt markområde ved gården Skærtoft og ejendommen Myrholm ved Nørreskoven på Als. Flyet var af typen B-17G ”Flyvende Fæstning” og tilhørte 351st Bomb Group, 8th U.S. Air Force og var stationeret på luftbasen Polebrook i England. (Tom Clay tilføjer, at hans far fløj i 509th Bombardment Squadron.)

Lederflyet ”Stormy Weather” havde denne dag været på et bombetogt over Berlin + mere, da det blev ramt af motorstop på to af de fire motorer. Flyets pilot, capt. Robert Clay overlod ledelsen af gruppens 18 fly til et supplerende fly og søgte alene tilbage mod basen i England efter at have smidt sin bombelast.

Over Helgoland blev en tredje motor ramt af FLAK skyts og flyet vendte om for at søge mod Sverige. Da flyet passerede Als var flyvehøjden så lav at en nødlanding blev nødvendig. Over Lillebælt drejede flyet ind over Nordals og piloten gav besætningen ordre til at forlade  flyet. 8 besætningsmedlemmer sprang ud med faldskærm over Svenstrup. Piloten og co-piloten nødlandede flyet ved Skærtoft på kun en motor under dramatiske omstændigheder.  (Se foto af flyet kort efter nødlandingen.)

Hele besætningen overlevede tysk fangenskab i Stalag III og vendte hjem til USA, da krigen var slut.
I taknemmelighed for jeres indsats under 2. verdenskrig for befrielse af Europa er et mindesmærke rejst."  Mere i p326MACR.

Med filer fra Gunnar Hounsgaard til seniorsergent L.Larsen, PISEK, Hærens Sergentskole, har forsvaret lavet hele informationstavlen sat op her. Zoom.
Se mindesmærket rejst her og foto 2001 og Stormy Weather - Photos. Se Monument i 2014 og Monument i 2019.
Se også Stormy Weather 24 maj 2019 - mindedag 75 år efter styrtet og se fra JV: Rørende mindedag for amerikanske flyverhelte 2019 - 75 år efter.
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. Se Tyske krigsfangelejre.
Se også Brudekjolen lavet af en faldskærm og Kaptajn Robert B. Clays erindringer. Hele historien?
"My dad would be proud and happy to share his story with anyone willing to read or listen to it. Kind regards, Tom Clay." See A Pilot´s Story pdf 11,9 MB. 10 flyvere.
Se Program for 80-års dag for Stormy Weathers styrt i 1944, mindedag fredag 24. maj 2024. Stormy Weather 2024
Se også Det er 80 år siden: Bombefly måtte nødlande, men Clay og hans mænd overlevede. JV-artikel af Birthe Juul Mathiasen 25. maj 2024.

Gunnar Hounsgaard, who saw the plane after the crash landing here and who till his death in 2019 was in touch with surviving airmen and their relatives, writes:

"On 24th May 1944 at 14:25 the American bomber "Stormy Weather" made a crash landing in the field hollow at the farm Skærtoft and the house Myrholm at Nørreskoven on Als. The aircraft was a B17G "Flying Fortress" and was part of the United States 8th Air Force, 351st Bomb Group, based at Polebrook, England. (Tom Clay adds that his father flew in 509th Bombardment Squadron.)

The lead aircraft for this day "Stormy Weather" was on a mission to Berlin when trouble occurred with two of the four engines. As the aircaft lost height, the pilot, Capt. Robert Clay handed over the leadership of the group to the aircraft, second in command. Capt. R. Clay ordered to drop the bombs and decided to return to his base in England. 

Over Heligoland a third engine was hit by FLAK and as the pilot found it impossible to cross the North Sea with only one active engine, he turned the aircraft at set course for Sweden. When the aircraft passed the island of Als the height was so low that a landing was essential. Above Lillebælt the pilot turned the aircraft towards northern Als and ordered the crew to bail out. 8 of the crew bailed out over the village of Svenstrup but as Capt. Clay had no parachute he and the co-pilot 1.st Lt Frank Hatten crash landed "Stormy Weather" under dramatic circumstances with only one engine running. (See photo of the plane shortly after the forced landing.)

The entire crew survived as POWs in the prisoner of war camp Stalag III and returned to the USA, when the Germans capitulated and the war in Europe ended.
In gratitude for your effort during World War II and the liberation of Europe a memorial has been erected." More in p326MACR.

With files from Gunnar Hounsgaard to SSG L.Larsen, PISEK, the Army NCO School the defence has made the complete information table placed here. Zoom.
See the memorial erected here, photo 2001, the Stormy Weather - Photos and  B-17G "Flying Fortress". See Stormy Weather 24 MAY 2019 - memorial day.
 See the newspaper article Moving memorial day for American air force heroes with photos in the original Rørende mindedag for amerikanske flyverhelte.
See a drawing of the crew of a B-17*Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk*B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner*German POW-Camps.

See also RAF Polebrook - USAAF Station 110, Stalag Luft III,  The Wedding dress made from a parachute and Memoirs of Captain Robert B. Clay. The full story?
"My dad would be proud and happy to share his story with anyone willing to read or listen to it. Kind regards, Tom Clay." See A Pilot´s Story pdf 11,9 MB.
See also 80 years ago: Bomber had to make a crash landing, but Clay and his men survived. Article on 24 May 2024 by Birthe Juul Mathiasen in JV.
This B-17 belonged to  509 BS, 351 BG, 94 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of the USAAF*351st Bomb Group* 8th Air Force Historical Society. Stormy Weather 2024.10 airmen.