B-17 Crash Landing near Velzeke, Belgium
 

I am interested in more information and any pictures anyone might have regarding a B-17 crash landing on November 10, 1944 near the town of Velzeke, Belgium. The plane was 43-38824 of the 94th BG and 410 BS based in Rogham Field, Bury St. Edmonds, UK. It was hit by flack over it's target at Wiesbaden that day and lost two engines forcing it to leave the rest of the squadron.

My father was 1st Lt Aruthur H. Lewis, bombardier on this mission. The pilot and co-pilot successfully landed the plane after all of the rest of the crew including my father bailed out. Although I'm not positive about all of the enlisted men in the plane that day, I do know for sure that the following officers were part of that mission:

Pilot: Ray Prigmore - Charleston, Mississippi
Copilot: Jack Malahy - Chicago, Illinois
Navigator: John Edelman - Kansas City, Missouri
Bombardier: Arthur H. Lewis - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The enlisted men that were normally part of that crew were:
Engineer: John Henning - Chicago and Texas
Radioman: Chester "Buck" Butkiewicz
Waist gunner: Bill Mullins - Dracut, Massachusettes
Waist gunner: Harry Mix
Ball turret: Luciuis "Smitty" Smith - Michegan
Tail gunner: Tom Quinn - Glenolden, Pennsylvania

I have more information about this mission if anyone is interested. Attached is a picture of my father's logbook for Nov 10, 1944.

Jon Lewis
Spokane, Washington, USA

Re: B-17 Crash Landing near Velzeke, Belgium
 

Jon,

You also may have read this previous post, with much of the same you've written: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archiv...p?t-29847.html

The place name in the logbook spelled as "Levin-Hoten" (at least, that's what I made out of it..) to be identified as Sint-Lievens-Houtem, just NW of either Velzeke and Zottegem.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: B-17 Crash Landing near Velzeke, Belgium
 

Leendert,

Thanks for your reply and identification of St.-Lievens-Houtem. I have visited the former posts and have had some good private exchanges with RedCap50. In any case, I am aware my father mis-spelled the town name. He was actually taken there after he bailed out to the home of Dr. Vander Schueren who helped remove some plexiglass fragments from his eye that occured during the mission.

On March 30, I will be stopping through Belgium for one day on the way home from a trip to Afarica and plan to rent a car to visit the towns and places where this incident occured. So, I am interested in anything else I can learn about this event.

Thanks much,

Jon