Gerrard Horton                                                                                         Updated:  13 JAN 2015

Airman: u096076.htm Surname: Horton Init: G Rank: Sgt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 786

P_link: p281.htm Plane: B24 42-52569 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Saksfjedgård, Loll.

Crash_d: d090444 Buried_d: b110444 C_link: c096.htm At_Next: Svinø

 Mere end 500 amerikanske bombefly var den 9. april 1944 på bombetogt til Polen og Tyskland. Se 8 af de tabte fly:  Google Map 9APR1944.
Den 9. april 1944 kl. 11:15 nødlandede B24 42-52569 ved Saksfjedgård på Lolland, hvor dette monument blev afsløret her den 5. maj 1946. Se Informationstavle.

"Ved overflyvningen blev formationen angrebet af tyske jagere syd for Fyn. 42-52569 blev ramt, og piloten forsøgte en nødlanding. Formationslederen så maskinen foretage en perfekt nødlanding, men inden da var de fleste besætningsmedlemmer sprunget ud med faldskærm. Flere sprang dog i for lav højde og fik derfor alvorlige kvæstelser.

En enkelt (Sgt, Tail Gunner Gerrard Horton) hang fast i flyet. Han kom først fri 100 m over jorden og blev dræbt i faldet.

To skytter (Sgt, Right Waist Gunner Forest E. Kayser og Sgt, Left Waist Gunner Zvonimir Sambol) blev muligvis dræbt under angrebet, eller da flyet umiddelbart efter nødlandingen brød i brand." (FT 86-90-21 - hele citatet ses ved B24 42-52569) (Navne fra AOD, der har mere.)

De tre dræbte flyvere blev begravet på Svinø Kirkegård den 11. april 1944.
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 Monument for 46 amerikanske flyvere.
10 flyvere. 

 On 9 April 1944 more than 500 American bombers were on a bombing raid on Poland and Germany. See 8 of the lost planes: Google Map 9APR1944.
On 9 April 1944 at 11:24 B24 42-52569 made a forced landing at Saksfjedgaard on Lolland, where this monument was unveiled here on  5 May 1946.
See Information table.

"At the overflight the formation was attacked by German fighters south of Fyn. 42-52569 was hit, and the pilot attempted a forced landing. The leader of the formation
saw the plane carry out a perfect forced landing, but most of the crew members had bailed out before that. Several of them bailed out at a low altitude and that caused severe injuries.

One airman (Sgt, Tail Gunner Gerrard Horton) got caught by the plane. He did not get away from it until 100 m off the ground. He was killed on impact.

Two gunners (Sgt, Right Waist Gunner Forest E. Kayser and Sgt, Left Waist Gunner Zvonimir Sambol) were possibly killed during the attack, or when the plane caught
fire immediately after the crash landing." (FT 86-90-21 - see all of the quotation at B24 42-52569) (Names from AOD, which has more.)

The 3 deceased airmen were buried in Svinø Churchyard on 11 April 1944.
In 1948 Gerrard Horton 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. See Monument to 46 American airmen.

This B-24 belonged to 786 BS, 466 BG, 96 CBW, 2 BD, 8 AF. It took off from RAF Attlebridge - USAAF Station 120. 10 airmen.