Wyman Edwin Osness                                                                             Updated:  26 JAN 2015

Airman: u069024.htm Surname: Osness Init: W E Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 560

P_link: p270.htm Plane: B17 42-31126 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Bellinge

Crash_d: d200244 Buried_d: b220444 C_link: c069.htm At_Next: Odense

Den 20. februar 1944 blev formationen af B-17 bombefly på vej til Posen 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)

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 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.
Hans navn er ikke i registret hos ABMC, så mest sandsynligt blev han begravet på en privat kirkegård i USA.

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.
10 flyvere.

On 20 February 1944 the formation of B-17 bombers targeting Posen 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.

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.
His name is not in the ABMC records, so most likely he was buried in a private cemetery in the U.S.A.

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. 
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.
10 airmen.