William H. Craighead    Photo: AS 25 MAY 2015   Updated:  18 JUN 2015                     1948 -           Ardennes, BELGIUM

Airman: u096095.htm Surname: Craighead Init: W H Rank: 2nd Lt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 728

P_link: p280.htm Plane: B17 42-39936 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Meltofte

Crash_d: d090444 Buried_d: b010644 C_link: c096.htm At_Next: Svinø

Den 9. april 1944 styrtede B17 42-39936 ned ved Meltofte på Lolland. Se Google Map p280.
Det var på hjemturen fra et bombetogt til Poznan (her).
Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver (navne fra MACR - Missing Air Crew Report):

"Under angreb fra flere FW 190 blev flyets to inderste motorer skudt i brand, og den midterste del
af kroppen blev også ramt kraftigt, hvorved både navigator 2ndLt William D. Abernathy og left waist
gunner Raymond E. Raley omkom. Intercom i flyet var ødelagt, og efter at piloten 1st Lt
Carroll G. Boyd havde fået delvis kontrol over flyet, forlod pilot, co­pilot 2nd Lt Elmer P. Julius og bombardier 2nd Lt William H. Craighead flyet fra forreste nødluge. Alle tre landede i farvandet syd
for Kramnitse og druknede." (FT 86-91-25)

2nd Lt (Bombardier) William H. Craighead druknede syd for Kramnitse. Hans lig blev fundet drevet
ind ved Tjørneby den 31. maj 1944. Han blev begravet på Svinø den 1. juni 1944.
(Kilde: AOD)

I 1948 blev han og andre Amerikanske flyvere fra Svinø flyttet til
Ardennes American Cemetery i
Belgien. (Kilde: FAF) Kom i tjenesten fra Louisiana.
Begravet på Ardennes American Cemetery
Plot B Row 39 Grave 9. Hæderstegn: Air Medal med
Oak Leaf Cluster. (Kilde: ABMC) Se Monument for 46 amerikanske flyvere.

3 flyvere fra B17 42-39936 blev begravet på Svinø, 1 på Agersø og 1 i Dannemare. 1 har ingen kendt
grav. 4 blev krigsfanger.

Se
B-17 Flyvende Fæstning * B17 i airmen.dk * tegning af besætningen på en B-17. 10 flyvere. 

On 9 April 1944 B17 42-39936 crashed near Meltofte on Lolland. See Google Map p280.
It was on the return flight from a bombing raid on Poznan
(here).
(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes (names from MACR - Missing Air Crew Report):

"The two inner engines of the plane caught fire after hits from a number of attacking FW 190s.
Also the middle section of the fuselage was heavily hit and navigator 2ndLt William D. Abernathy and left waist gunner Raymond E. Raley perished. The intercom in
the plane was destroyed and after the pilot 1st Lt Carroll G. Boyd had regained some of the control over the plane, he, co-pilot 2nd Lt Elmer P. Julius and bombardier
2nd Lt William H. Craighead abandoned the plane from the front emergency hatch. They landed in the waters south of Kramnitse and drowned." (FT 86-91-25)

2nd Lt (Bombardier) William H. Craighead drowned south of Kramnitse. His body was found drifted ashore at Tjørneby on 31 May 1944.
He was buried in Svinø Churchyard on 1 June 1944. (Source: AOD)

In 1948 he and other American airmen from Svinø were taken to Ardennes American Cemetery in BELGIUM. He stills rests there. Buried at: Plot B Row 39 Grave 9.
He en
tered the Service from: Louisiana. Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. (Source: ABMC)
See Monument to 46 American airmen and the map USAAF with all American airmen buried in Denmark.


3 airmen from
B17 42-39936 were buried in Svinø Churchyard, 1 in Agersø and 1 in Dannemare Churchyard. 1 has no known grave. 4 became POWs.
This B-17 was from 728 BS, 452 Bomb Group (Heavy), 45 CBW, 3 BD. See 452nd Bombardment Group.
It took off from RAF Deopham Green - USAAF Station 142. See also B17s in airmen.dk and a
drawing of the crew of a B-17. 10 airmen.