Unknown B-17
 

This B-17 crashed in the southern part of the Netherlands in the fall of 1944. There is nothing known about the fate of the crew and the date of the crash! There are rumours that the crew baled out to safety over friendly territory.
This photo was taken in the spring of 1945.
In my opinion the fuselage is upside down and some parts of the squadron-code are visible within the red circle.
Is anyone on this board capable to reconstruct the code with the aid of these fragments.
Tia,
paul

Re: Unknown B-17
 

Paul,

Anything more available where the picture was taken?

Groet,

Leendert

Re: Unknown B-17
 

In my opinion code is "R5", so it would be B-17 of the 839th BS/487th BG.

Re: Unknown B-17
 

Hi !
If really from 487BG 839BS it could well be:
MACR 10758 26.11.1944 B-17 43-38141 487 839 pilot Burr E. Davidson, target Osnabrück.
"The B-17 fell back just before the target, doors open but it is not believed that the bombs were dropped. A fire in the bomb bay was seen. German reports, attached to the MACR, say the aircraft went down in Holland and the prisoners were collected on Gütersloh Airfield, Germany; the POW's came from the Krefeld area."

regards,
FrankieS

Re: Unknown B-17
 

Leendert,
The exact crah site is not known. The a/c came down in the area between Tilburg and 's-Hertogenbosch.
I think this crash is really a mistery.
Gegroet,
paul

Re: Unknown B-17
 

44-10-07 43-38434 34th BG 7th BS liempde
44-10-18 43-37608 96th BG 337 BS Sprang capelle
44-11-21 42-97981 96th BG 337 BS Udenhout

Re: Unknown B-17
 

FrankieS,
I pruned the photo, but there are no traces of fire.

ron_Ra,
According SGLO Lossregister: Liempde crash of 43-38188. This crash is known
B-17 at Sprang Capelle is known. AW-U
B-17 42-97981 AW-K. The crash site of this a/c is unknown. It is given as Vden, Uden and Udenhout. Most probably Vden and Uden are the same. There is no known crash of a B-17 at Uden. It is not Udenhout either, I have seen photos of a burning AW-K.
The two kia were buried in Margraten Cemetery on November 23, 2 days after the crash. I think it most unlikely that (at that time) the bodies were taken to a cemetery a hundred kms away, with so many (temporarely) allied cemeteries "around the corner".
Both thanks for your contribution,
pp

Re: Unknown B-17
 

I agree the squadron code is R5. I can see the bottom of the short leg of the R, upside down with a slight bend in it. I can also see the top of the R, which has been pushed up and to the right of the short R leg. I can also just see the "bottom" of the 5 to the left of the R leg. Here is a link to a picture of the way the plane is painted. (This is the side of the plane in the photo, upside down.)

http://www.487thbg.org/Photos/BigDripJr.shtml

MACR 11238 (24 DEC 44) gives info for 42-98019 of the 487th BG 839th BS. It was forced to abort when they had to feather #3 and #2 engine began to give them trouble. They were over Belgium and turned back toward England. As they came out over the channel the #1 engine blew up. They turned back again toward Ostend, salvoed the bombs, and started bail out procedures. Some of the crew bailed out over water and the rest over land. Last known position of the plane is given as 5108N 0245E when it was still in the air. 6 of the crew are listed as RET and 4 as MIA. The MIA were lost in the channel.

I would think this is a possible candidate. The MACR does not state where it actually came down.

Re: Unknown B-17
 

Paul,

Maybe you should read Vden or Uden as Uedem in Germany. East of Gogh.
It will not be the first time that there is a mixed-up between Uden in the
Netherlands and Uedem in Germany.

Jaap

Re: Unknown B-17
 

Even Dr. L. de Jong makes this mistake in "Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden enz" pg443 10a Eerste helft, where he mentions Uden, which most probably should be Uedem.
paul