Tony P. Gill                                                                                             Updated:  01 JAN 2012

Airman: v999079.htm Surname: Gill Init: T P Rank: 2ndLt Service: USAAF Sqdn: 729

P_link: p282.htm Plane: B17 42-32070 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Ryde at Græshave

Crash_d: d090444 Buried_d: v999 C_link: v999.htm At_Next: EVD to S

  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 korte version: Den 9. april 1944 blev B17 42-32070 ramt af flak over målet, da det var på bombetogt til Poznan her. På vejen tilbage blev flyet angrebet af tyske jagere og nødlandede omkring her ved Ryde på Lolland. Alle 10 flyvere overlevede. 4 af dem nåede Sverige med hjælp fra mange danskere. Se Google Map p282 B17-4232070.

Se den lange version med det fulde citat fra Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift og Halfdan Rasmussen og 2 flyvere.

"De sidste to besætningsmedlemmer, 2nd Lt. Tony P. Gill (Co-Pilot) og 2nd Lt. Charles F. Markowicz (Navigator) havde langt større problemer. De var begge af polsk herkomst og var fast besluttet på ikke at blive taget til fange, men de personer, som de henvendte sig til i området, var meget bange og kunne kun hjælpe med tøj og mad. De to flyvere forsøgte at klare sig uden for megen kontakt med danskere. De skjulte sig i de nærliggende skov til den 12. april, hvor de fik kontakt med en dansker, der mente, de kunne flygte med en båd fra Hesnæs (her) på Falster.

De begav sig af sted, og natten mellem den 13. og 14. april gjorde de et forsøg på at krydse Guldborgsundbroen (her), der ved første øjekast virkede ubevogtet. I sidste øjeblik opdagede de dog en tysk vagtpost i skæret fra en forbikørende bil, og de undgik tilfangetagelse. Efter flere forsøg og en del problemer kom de over Guldborgsund i en lille stjålen båd den 15. april. De næste to dage brugte de til at observere skibstrafikken i Hesnæs. Der var dog kun fiskekuttere, og da de to flyvere helst ville gemme sig i et større evt. svensk skib, så opgav de deres plan og gik mod Stubbekøbing (her) .  

Den 18. april forsøgte de sig i Stubbekøbing, men heller ikke her fandt de nogen skibe af tilfredsstillende størrelse og nationalitet. Om aftenen gik Gill og Markowicz mod Storstrømsbroen (her), og igen undgik de i sidste øjeblik en tysk vagtpost. Efter en nøje observation af de tyske vagtposter og togtrafikken fik de næste nat mulighed for at springe på et tysk transporttog. Om morgenen den 20. april sprang de af toget efter passage af Næstved station (her) og begyndte at gå mod nord.  

Næste dags aften søgte de, under en forrygende storm, ly i et udhus ved et gartneri i St. Valby (her) nord for Roskilde. De var imidlertid blevet opdaget af ejeren, og det danske politi blev tilkaldt. Tre betjente mødte op, og de fandt hurtigt ud af de to flyveres identitet. Betjentene havde kontakt med modstandsbevægelsen, og en transport blev hurtigt arrangeret til København. Efter få dages ophold her blev de udskibet til Sverige, og den 29. april 1944 fløj de tilbage til England.”  (FT 86-91-26) Se Politi.

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 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.
The short version: On 9 April 1944 B17 42-32070 was hit by flak over the target, when it was on a bombing raid to Poznan here. On the return flight it was attacked by German fighters and made a forced landing about here at Ryde on Lolland. All 10 airmen survived.
4 of them reached Sweden with the help of many Danes. See Google Map p282 B17-4232070.

See the long version with the complete quotation from (Danish) Aviation Historical Review (Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift) and Halfdan Rasmussen and 2 airmen.

"The last two crew members, 2nd Lt. Tony P. Gill (Co-Pilot) and 2nd Lt. Charles F. Markowicz (Navigator), had far greater problems. Both were of Polish descent and
were determined to avoid being captured, but the persons to whom they turned in the area, were very anxious and could only help with clothes and food. The two airmen tried to get along without much contact with the Danes. They hid in an adjoining wood till 12 April when they got into contact with a Dane who thought they could escape
in a boat from Hesnæs (here) on Falster.

They set out, and on the night between 13 and 14 April they made an attempt to cross the Guldborgsund bridge (here), which at first sight seemed unguarded. At the
last moment, however, they discovered a German guard in the light from a passing car and avoided capture. After several attempts and quite a lot of problems they
crossed the Guldborgsund on 15 April in a small boat they had stolen. They spent the next two days observing the ships sailing in and out of Helnæs. There were only fishing vessels, and as the two airmen would rather hide in a fairly large ship, possibly Swedish, they gave up their plan and walked towards Stubbekøbing (here).

On 18 April they tried their fortune in Stubbekøbing, but they didn't find any ships of satisfactory size or nationality there either. In the evening Gill and Markowicz went towards the Storstrøm bridge (here) and again evaded a German guard at the last minute.
After careful observation of the German guards and the railway traffic they got an opportunity to jump on to a German transport train the following night. On the morning
of 20 April they jumped off the train after passing Næstved railway station (here) and began to walk north.

On the evening of the following day, during a howling gale, they went for shelter into an outhouse belonging to a market garden in St. Valby (here) north of Roskilde.
The owner had seen them, however, and the Danish police was called. Three policemen arrived, and they quickly discovered the identities of the two airmen.
The policemen had contacts in the resistance movement, and a transport to Copenhagen was speedily arranged. After staying there for a few days they were sailed to Sweden, and on 29 April 1944 they flew back to England."  (FT 86-91-26) See Police.

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 belonged to 729 BS, 452 BG, 45 CBW, 3 BD, 8 AF. It took off from Deopham Green Airfield - RAF Deopham Green - USAAF Station 142. 10 airmen.