Richard L. Wilkinson                                                                                    Updated:  06 MAR 2015

Airman: u096067.htm Surname: Wilkinson Init: R L Rank: T/Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 335

P_link: p185.htm Plane: B17 42-29675 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Langelandsbæltet

Crash_d: d130643 Buried_d: b170643 C_link: c096.htm At_Next: Svinø

Den 13. juni 1943 gik B17 42-29675 tabt (måske omkring her) i forbindelse med et bombeangreb på Kiel (her). Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:

"Den 13. juni 1943 angreb 60 B-17 fra USAAF ubådsanlæggene i Kiel. 16 B-17 fra 95. BG fløj forrest i formationen, der allerede blev angrebet under indflyvningen
til målet. Som sædvanlig angreb de tyske jagermaskiner især den forreste del af formationen, og inden denne havde passeret målet var 7-8 B-17 fra 95. BG gået tabt.
En B-17 ude af kontrol fløj ind i en anden, og kun 6 B-17 fra 95. BG nåede tilbage til basen, hvoraf en blev ødelagt under nødlanding.På grund af de voldsomme kamphandlinger observerede ingen i området tabet af dette fly. Få dage efter drev ligene af fire besætningsmedlemmer i land på sydkysten
af Lolland, og tabet var hermed en realitet." (FT 86-89-14)

Technical Sergeant Richard L. Wilkinson blev fundet ved Kappel den 13. juni 1943. Han blev begravet på Svinø Kirkegård den 17. juni 1943. (Kilde: FAF)
I 1948 blev han og andre Amerikanske flyvere fra Svinø 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.
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.
B17 4229702 * B17 423286 * B17 4230118 * B17 4229675 * B17 423187 * B17 4230164 styrtede alle ned i dele af Østersøen. 10 flyvere.

On 13 June 1943 B17 42-29675 was lost (maybe about here) in connection with a bombing raid on Kiel (here). (Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:

"On 13 June 1943 60 B-17s from the USAAF attacked the U-boat installations in Kiel. 16 B-17s from 95th BG flew at the front in the formation which had already 
been attacked on their way to the target. As usual the German fighters particularly attacked the front of the formation. Before it had passed the target 7-8 B-17s from
95th BG were lost. One B-17 out of control crashed into another, and only 6 B-17s from 95th BG made it back to base - and one of them was destroyed in a
forced landing. Due to the violent battle nobody in the area observed this plane being lost. A few days later the bodies of 4 crew members were washed ashore on
the south coast of Lolland. Then the loss was a reality." (FT 86-89-14)

Technical Sergeant Richard L. Wilkinson was found at Kappel on 13 June 1943. He was buried in Svinø Churchyard on 17 June 1943. In 1948 he and other
American airmen from Svinø were taken to Ardennes American Cemetery in BELGIUM. (Source: FAF) His name is not in the ABMC records, so most likely he was
buried in a private cemetery in the U.S.A.

B17 4229702 * B17 423286 * B17 4230118 * B17 4229675 * B17 423187 * B17 4230164 all crashed in parts of the Baltic Sea.
See a drawing of the crew of a B-17, Photo of  a B-17 + B-17s in airmen.dk and B-17 Ball Turret, Ammunition and the story of a Ball Turret Gunner.
This B-17 Flying Fortress was from 335 BS, 95 BG, 13 CBW, 3 BD, 8 AF. See 95th Bomb Group (H) Memorials Foundation*Mission files*95th Bomb Group, Horham
It took off from RAF Framlingham (Parham) - USAAF Station 153. 10 airmen.