B 24J 44-40443 - Near Holt, Suffolk, England                                                   Updated: 17 AUG 2021

Airman Surname Init Rank Service Sqdn P_link Plane Operation Crash_site Crash_d Buried_d C_link At_Next
e777148.htm Corrales S T/Sgt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
e777145.htm Gallagher J C 1stLt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
r998001.htm Garrett J O Major USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 r998 r998.htm RETURNED
e777146.htm Hogan T J 1stLt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
e777151.htm Holtzman B C S/Sgt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
e777144.htm Mackey W K 1stLt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
e777147.htm Matson G T 1stLt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
u090001.htm Sabbath B S/Sgt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 b020145 c090.htm (Stenbjerg)
e777149.htm Smith C H S/Sgt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777c e777c.htm NO - CAM
e777150.htm Spivak S S/Sgt USAAF 004 p345.htm B24 4440443 Bomb G Near Holt, Suffolk d240844 e777n e777n.htm NO - NET


“Under et bombetogt med Kiel som mål blev en B-24 Liberator ramt af flak i en motor. Over Nordsøen (53,40N-04,05E) sprang 9 besætningsmedlemmer ud med faldskærm. De omkom alle.

Den 10. mand  ombord, Command Pilot, Major Garrett, kunne ikke forlade flyet, der var gået i spin. Senere fik han atter kontrol over flyet og fortsatte mod vest til
benzinen slap op. Major Garrett sprang ud med faldskærm over England, hvor flyet styrtede ned i et hus i Holt, Suffolk.

En af flyets skytter, Sgt Sabbath, drev i land som lig syd for Stenbjerg landingsplads den 25. september 1944. Værnemagten begravede flyveren på den øvre
strandbred den 27. september. Med den tyske værnemagts tilladelse flyttedes liget til Stenbjerg Kirkegård den 2. januar 1945, hvor begravelsen foretoges af
sognepræst Poul Nielsen. Opgravet og sendt til USA den 4. maj 1948.” (FAF) Gravstenen er der stadig!  10 flyvere.

”On a bombing raid targeting Kiel a B-24 Liberator was hit by flak in an engine. Over the North Sea (53,40N-04,05E) 9 members of the crew bailed out with
parachutes. All of them perished.

The 10th man on board, Command Pilot, Major Garrett, was unable to leave the plane, which had started spinning. Later he regained control over the plane and
went on towards west till he ran out of fuel. Major Garrett bailed out with parachute over England, where the plane crashed into a house in Holt, Suffolk.

The body of one of the gunners of the plane, Sgt Sabbath, drifted ashore south of Stenbjerg landing place on  25 September 1944. The Wehrmacht buried the
airman on the upper part of the beach on 27 September. With permission from the German Wehrmacht the body was moved to Stenbjerg Churchyard on
2 January 1945, where the burial was carried out by vicar Poul Nielsen. Disinterred and sent to the USA on 4 May 1948.” (FAF) The gravestone is still there!

From 34th Bomb Group Mission Diary for AUGUST 1944: Missions #48-#63 compiled by Gary L. Ferrell, see Mission #63:
B-24J 44-40443 D/D With the 4BS. Pilot: Mackey. Unnumbered Missing Air Crew Report. 9 Killed in Action, 1 Returned to Duty. This plane was hit by flak in #1 engine causing considerable loss of fuel. Engineer reported only three minutes fuel remaining so the crew was ordered to bail out. Nine men did bail out but Major Garrett was unable to leave when the plane went into a spin. He was able to right the plane and decided to fly until the fuel ran out. The plane did reach England and Major Garrett bailed out and the plane crashed into a house at Holt, Suffolk. Fortunately there were no injuries to anyone on the ground. Salvaged with battle damage

This B 24 Liberator belonged to 34th Bombardment Group . 4th BS, 34th BG, 93rd CBW, 3rd BD, 8 AF, USAAF. See Valor to Victory, 34th Bomb Group.
 It took off from RAF Mendlesham - USAAF Station 156.  10 airmen.