"Den 9. oktober 1943 angreb USAAF med 378 4-motorede bombefly flyfabrikker i den østlige del af Polen og Østpreussen, samt havnefaciliteter i Gdynia (her)
og Danzig (Gdansk her). Både på udturen og hjemturen passerede formationerne Danmark, hvor tyske jagermaskiner angreb bomberne." (FAF)
På hjemturen blev B17 42-3554 angrebet af tyske jagere. 5 flyvere sprang ud inden flyet eksploderede i luften omkring her 16 km syd sydvest for Blåvandshuk
den 9. oktober 1943 kl. 16.45. (Kilde: AOD)

Top Turret Gunner Sgt Harold R. Hecker blev begravet i Esbjerg den 12. oktober 1943. (Kilder: MACR + FAF)

Den 30. april 1948 blev han og andre Amerikanske flyvere fra Esbjerg flyttet til Ardennes American Cemetery i Belgien. (Kilde: FAF)
Hans navn er ikke i registret hos ABMC, så mest sandsynligt blev han begravet på en privat kirkegård i USA.

2 flyvere fra B17 42-3554 blev begravet i Danmark, 3 har ingen kendt grav og 5 blev krigsfanger.
Se Tegning af besætningen på en B-17*Foto af en B-17 + B-17 i airmen.dk*B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition og Ball Turret Gunner*B-17 Flyvende Fæstning. 10 flyvere.

"On 9 October, 1943 USAAF attacked aircraft factories in the eastern part of Poland and East Preussia together with harbour facilities in Gdynia (here) and
Danzig (Gdansk here) with 378 4-engined bombers. Both on the way out and the way home the formations passed Denmark, where German fighters attacked the bombers." (FAF) On the return flight B17 42-3554 was attacked by German fighters. 5 airmen bailed out before the plane exploded in the air about here 10 miles
south south west of Blåvandshuk on 9 October 1943 at 16.45 hours. (Source: AOD)

Top Turret Gunner Sgt Harold R. Hecker was buried in Esbjerg on 12 October 1943. (Sources: MACR + FAF)
On 30 April 1948 he and other American airmen buried in Esbjerg were disinterred and taken to Ardennes American Cemetery. (Source: FAF) See the map USAAF - American airmen buried in Denmark. His name is not in the ABMC records, so most likely he was buried in a private cemetery in the U.S.A.

2 airmen from B17 42-3554 were buried in Denmark, 3 have no known grave and 5 became Prisoners of War.

See 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.
It took off from RAF Podington - USAAF Station 109. Also Lester Schrenk was in Podington. This B-17 was from 326th BS, 92nd BG, 40th CBW, 1 BD, 8 AF of the USAAF. See 92nd Bombardment Group (Heavy) and 92nd USAAF-USAF Memorial Association. 10 airmen.