Bertrand C. Hallum                                                                                    Updated: 15 NOV 2019

Airman: r998003.htm Surname: Hallum Init: B C Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 360

P_link: p356.htm Plane: B17 42-37841 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Hit over Esbjerg

Crash_d: d270844 Buried_d: r998 C_link: r998.htm At_Next: RETURNED

"Den 27. august 1944 udsendtes 1200 amerikanske bombefly mod Berlin, men på grund af ugunstige vejrforhold over Nordtyskland angreb en del af de udsendte
fly andre mål på Kontinentet. Et af disse mål var Esbjerg flyveplads, hvor ca. 60 B-17 fly nedkastede mere end 200 bomber, hvilket gjorde flyvepladsen ubrugelig i
resten af krigen." (FAF) Den gamle Esbjerg flyveplads lå i området omkring dette punkt. Nu er det en del af byen Esbjerg. (Kilde: Søren Diers)
Se også Farlige jagere * Informationstavle   her om Esbjerg Flyveplads * Luftalarmer i Esbjerg * Google Map Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944 * Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944.

B17 42-37841 blev ramt over Esbjerg, måske over flyvepladsen, så en del af halen med Sgt (Tail Gunner) Milt I. Ross brækkede af. Han blev begravet i Esbjerg
den 31. august 1944. (Kilder: AOD og  register fra Fovrfeld Gravlund)

Lt Hallum klarede at flyve maskinen tilbage til England. Nær Middlesham gav han besætningen ordre til at springe ud og lod maskinen styrte. Den klarede 97 togter!
2nd Lt (Pilot) Bertrand C. Hallum og 7 andre flyvere overlevede. (Kilde: Mission Report Nr. 233) Se også Foto af besætningen og Pilot Hallum.

Mistet under denne mission: B17 43-37629*B17 42-37841 / Pilot Hallum*P51 43-25049*P51 44-13733*P51 44-13951*P51 44-13991*P51 42-106480. (Kilde: AOD)
Se B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17. 9 flyvere.

"On 27 August 1944 1200 American bombers were to target Berlin, but due to unfavourable weather conditions over North Germany some of the dispatched
planes attacked other targets on the Continent. One of these targets was Esbjerg Airfield where about 60 B-17s dropped more than 200 bombs which made the airfield useless for the rest of the war." (FAF) The old Esbjerg Airfield was in the area around this point. Now it is a part of the town of Esbjerg. (Source: Søren Diers)
See also Air-raid warnings in Esbjerg and Google Map Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944 and Esbjerg 27 AUG 1944.

B17 42-37841 was hit over Esbjerg, maybe over the airfield, so that a part of the tail with Sgt (Tail Gunner) Milt I. Ross broke off. He was buried in Esbjerg on
31 August 1944. (Sources: AOD and register from the cemetery Fovrfeld Gravlund)

Lt Hallum managed to fly the plane back to England. Near Middlesham he ordered the crew to bail out and let the B-17 crash. The B-17 was on its 97th mission!
2nd Lt (Pilot) Bertrand C. Hallum and 7 others survived. (Source: Mission Report No. 233) See his own words in Reflections on Being a Pilot in WWII. Pilot Hallum.

Lost on this mission: B17 43-37629 * B17 42-37841 / Pilot Hallum * P51 43-25049 * P51 44-13733 * P51 44-13951 * P51 44-13991 * P51 42-106480. (Source: AOD)
This B-17 belonged to 360 BS, 303 BG, 41 CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of USAAF. It took off from RAF Molesworth - USAAF Station 107.
See 303rd Bomb Group Heavy with the Mission Report No. 233 of Aug 27, 1944. See Crew Photo and Reflections on Being a Pilot in WWII by Bert Hallum
See also B17s in airmen.dk and a
drawing of the crew of a B-17.     9 airmen.