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B 17G 42-31126 crashed near Bellinge 20/2 1944.
The aircraft belonged to USAAF, 8 Air Force, 388 Bomb Group, 56o Bomb Squadron.
T/O Knettishall. OP: Posen.
Take off from Knettishall at 06:00 to rendezvous with other bombers at 07:00
English time. They were flying over Denmark at 10.000 feet in a loose formation
when they were attacked by German fighters and Flt. Engr. T/Sgt William T. Morse
was killed by a 20 millimetres round thru his chest. 42-31126 received several
hits and control of the elevator was lost. Pilot 1st Lt Richard F. Reed gave the
alarm to bail out and opened the bomb bay doors as an exit for himself and
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Wyan E. Osness. Osness however dropped down to the navigators
hatch instead of using the bomb bay exit. He was unable to open the hatch and
called for Navigator 2nd Lt David D. Jacobs to assist him. Jacobs threw his
weight against the door and left the aircraft with it. Osness next signalled
Bombardier 2nd Lt Charles W. McCollester to bail out before him. At this time
the right wing erupted in flames and the aircraft went into a spin throwing
McCollister out and pinning Osness to the aircraft.
Before the spin Right waist Gunner S/Sgt Benjamin E. Ferrici had tried to bail
out of the waist hatch but his chute had hung up in the hatch handle. Left Waist
Gunner Sgt Kenneth H. Jones and S/Sgt William J. Rowling released him and then
bailed out themselves.
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
The tail now broke off and S/Sgt K H. Bonner left thru the opening. Tail Gunner
S/Sgt John J. Chinni managed to free himself from the tail and landed safely in
his parachute.
The aircraft exploded and knocked Reed unconscious. When he came too he found
himself falling thru the space and opened his chute. He landed safely where he
met with the rest of the survivors.
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
The wreck fell around the farm “Lykkessæde” near Bellinge on the island of Fyn (Funen)
at 12:19 hours Danish time and Feldwebel Heinz Hanke of 2./JG 11 was credited
with the destruction of the B 17.
(Heinz Hanke)
Feldwebel Heinz Hanke
The dead bodies of Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Wyman E. Osness and Flt. Engr./ Top Turret
Gunner T/Sgt William T. Morse was found with the wreck. Osness was found 100
metres south of the farm while Morse was found with his turret and the front of
the fuselage150 metres south west of the farm.
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Wyman E. Osness
The bodies were by the Danish police taken to Odense County and City Cemetery.
On 21/2 at 17:00 hours they were moved to the chapel at Heden and on 22/2 1944
at 07:00 hours the Wehrmacht moved them to their graves at Odense Assistens
Cemetery. Oberleutnant Langhagen gave a short speech before the coffins were
lowered into the graves. This was done without ecclesiastical assistance but
after that the Germans had left a Danish priest officiated at the graveside
ceremony.
Their remains were disinterred on 30/4 1948 and were evacuated to the American
cemetery at Neuville en
Condron in Belgium by the US military. Today they both rest in USA.
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
Chinni, Ferrici and Rowling was captured near Bellinge around 13:30 hours by a
patrol from 1 st. Comp. D IV, Odense. One of them had been picked up by Police
Constable Clemens-Pedersen on the road between Brylle and the Assens main road.
The flyer had hurt his hip and was placed in Clemens-Pedersens police car. It
was Clemens-Pedersens intention to get the flyer out of the area but after a
short while they were stopped by a German patrol. When they saw the airman they
placed a guard in the car and told Clemens-Pedersen to drive to a farm near the
crash site. Here the flyer met with his two comrades. Clemens-Pedersen managed
to get the Germans permission to call a Doctor to treat the flyers wounds.
Bonner and McCollister stayed free until 23:00 hours when they were captured
near Tommerup by Germans of 4.Comp. C VI. Odense.
Jones, Reed and Jacobs managed to stay at large until 23/2 when they at 11:00
hours were captured by Soldiers from 2nd Comp. Battl, Faaborg.
After interrogation at Dulag Luft Oberursel near Frankfurt Reed, Jacobs and
McCollester was sent to Stalag Luft I Barth. Bonner was sent to Stalag Luft IV
Gross Tychow while it is not clear where Chinni, Ferrici, Jones and Rowlings
were sent.
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
(Historiecenter Beldringe)
A memorial was erected after the war
Sources: MACR, FB, RL 19/458, AS 28-81, TW, LBUK, “Dagbogsblade Assistens
Kirkegaarden” by Henriksen/Jensen.
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