Clifford D. Sahner                                                                                     Updated:  19 MAR 2017

Airman: u113152.htm Surname: Sahner Init: C D Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 335

P_link: p273.htm Plane: B17 42-31561 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Near Øster Højst

Crash_d: d240244 Buried_d: b020344 C_link: c113.htm At_Next: Aabenraa

 Den korte version: ”Efter et bombetogt til Poznan i Polen nødlandede kl. 16.20 24. februar 1944 et B-17 fly (Flyvende Fæstning) ved Øster Højst, syd for Løgumkloster.

2 omkomne besætningsmedlemmer, C.D. Sahner og G.F. Pechachek, blev begravet den 2. marts 1944 i Aabenraa.

Resten af besætningen, 8 mand, overlevede i mere eller mindre såret tilstand. Værnemagten forhindrede i flere timer, at selv hårdt sårede flyvere kunne komme under lægebehandling.” (FAF) Se den lange version. Uddrag, her om 2nd Lt (Navigator) Clifford D. Sahner:     (Se besætningen på en B-17)

I flyet var Cliff Sahner i frontpartiet alvorligt såret. Han kunne ikke flytte sig selv, og det fik Costales til at beslutte sig for en nødlanding i stedet for at alle sprang ud. Costales kastede nu sin faldskærm fra sig og bad Kish om at springe ud. Kish havde i mellemtiden taget sin lommekniv og begyndte at skære buksebenet op på sin flyverdragt. Først nu opdagede Costales, at hans 2. pilot havde åbent benbrud. Costales overtog igen styringen af flyet – til han pludseligt faldt forover mod instrumentpanelet, så Kish måtte skubbe ham væk og lande flyet. Et projektil fra den første træfning havde gennemboret brystkassen, og blodtabet fik Costales til at besvime.

Mens flyet halvvejs mavelandede – det ene hjul blev revet af – kom Costales igen til bevidsthed, og han beordrede Kish ud. Selv prøvede han flere gange at få Cliff fri ved at åbne en anden dør – dog uden held. Cliff  rakte sin 45 pistol til Costales og bad ham om, at han ville skyde ham. Costales sagde: ”Nej!” Og mens han gjorde et nyt forsøg eksploderede benzintanken. Costales blev svært forbrændt og alvorligt såret. Fortumlet søgte han ud af sidedøren og trillede ned i en lille grøft. (Nedstyrtningen var her.)

Mens dette foregik, brændte Clifford Sahner inde i flyet, uden at de tilstedeværende kunne gøre noget!

Clifford D. Sahner blev begravet i Aabenraa den 2. marts 1944. Efter krigen blev han og andre Amerikanske flyvere flyttet til Ardennes American Cemetery i Belgien. (Kilde: FAF) Derfra blev han ført til Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Section F Site 111, Louisville, Kentucky, USA. (Kilde: Nationwide Gravesite Locator)

Nødlandingen med denne B-17 Flyvende Fæstning var her - set fra større højde her.
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.
Se monument for alle 10 flyvere fra B17 42-31561  rejst her i mindelunden ved Øster Højst Forsamlingshus. 10 flyvere.            

The short version: ”After a bombing raid to Poznan in Poland a B-17 (Flying Fortress) crash landed at 16.20 on 24 February, 1944 at Øster Højst, south of Løgumkloster.

2 perished members of the crew, C.D. Sahner and G.F. Pechachek, were buried on 2 March, 1944 in Aabenraa.

The rest of the crew, 8 men, survived in a condition more or less wounded. The Wehrmacht for several hours prevented that even severely wounded airmen could get medical treatment.” (FAF) See the long version. Excerpts, here about 2nd Lt (Navigator) Clifford D. Sahner,        (See the crew of a B-17)

In the plane Cliff Sahner at the front end was severely wounded. He could not move himself, and that made Costales decide to make a crash landing rather than telling all to bail out. Costales tossed his parachute away and asked Kish to bail out. In the meantime Kish had taken his pocket knife and had started cutting up a trouser leg of his suit. Costales did not until then realize that his Copilot had an open fracture of the leg. Costales again took control of steering the plane – till he suddenly fell forward on the instrument panel, so Kish had to push him away and land the plane. A bullet from the first engagement had passed through his chest and the loss of blood made Costales lose consciousness.

While the plane took a rough belly landing – one wheel was torn off – Costales regained consciousness, and he ordered Kish out. Costales tried several times to get Cliff out by opening another door – but in vain. Cliff handed his 45 gun to Costales and asked him  to shoot him. Costales said, “No!” And while he was trying once more the fuel tank exploded. Costales was severely burnt and seriously wounded. Dazed he got out of the side door and tumbled down into a little ditch. (The crash was here.)

While all of this happened Clifford Sahner died in the fire in the plane – and the people present could not do anything!

Clifford D. Sahner was buried in Aabenraa on 2 March, 1944. After the war he and other American airmen were disinterred and taken to Ardennes American Cemetery
in BELGIUM. (Source: FAF) From there he was taken to the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery, Section F Site 111, Louisville, Kentucky. (Nationwide Gravesite Locator)

The crash landing with this B-17 Flying Fortress was here - seen from a greater altitude here.
See 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.
See  monument to all 10 airmen from B17 42-31561 erected here in the memorial grove at Øster Højst Village Hall.

This B-17 belonged to 335th Bomb Squadron, 95th Bombardment Group, 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, 3rd Bombardment Division, 8th Air Force, USAAF.
See 335 BS *  95th Bomb Group Horham * 95th Bomb Group (H) Memorials Foundation  10 airmen.