Home
Allied:
1939-1940 Updated 19/10-24
1941 Updated 28/4-22
1942 Updated 14/7-24
1943 Updated 15/4-24
1944 Updated 15/9-24
1945 Updated 4/12-22
German:
1939
1940 New 30/11-23
1941 New 23/7-21
1942 Updated 24/7-24
1943 Updated 28/1-23
1944 Updated 23/7-23
1945 Updated 16/7-23
Books New Book by Steve Smith
Sources
Contact
Links
Search this
site by entering search words:
|
B 24H 42-95144 crashed into Langelandsbæltet 20/6 1944.
The aircraft belonged to USAAF, 8 Air Force, 389 Bomb Group, 565 Bomb Squadron.
T/O Hethel. OP: Politz.
On its way to the target 42-95144 collided with B 24J 42-100351 that was flying
above it. 42-100351 lost an propeller and crashed shortly after.
42-95144 lost its tail and went into a spinning dive which ended when the
aircraft hit the sea approximately 2 kilometres southeast of Kelsnor lighthouse
on the island of Langeland.
Just after the tail was cut off tail gunner S/Sgt Jack K. Wagner tried to get
out of his turret and put his parachute on. He did not make it and went down
without it.
Left waist gunner S/Sgt Jacob G. Heilich and Right waist gunner S/Sgt Howard R.
Penfield were flying in the waist and as soon as the tail disappeared Penfield
put on his chute and jumped out of the hole. When Heilich reached for his chute
the plane started spinning and he was pinned to the floor. They lost about 5000
feet before the plane levelled out and Heilich quickly put on his chute and
bailed out.
It is believed that the rest of the crew went down in the aircraft.
When Heilich floated down he could see Penfield landing in the sea. A little
later Heilich also landed in the sea. He had trouble getting rid of his chute
and went under several times.
After about half an hour a Danish fishing boat picked him up and took him to
Keldsnor on the island of Langeland where he was taken to a German look out
post. In the afternoon he was put on a bicycle and taken to Magleby cemetery
where he was told to dig what he believed was his own grave. When the grave was
finished Heilich was taken back to the post.
The grave he had been digging was actually for the body of P/O Fournier who was
lost on 15/2-44 and had been found washed ashore on 18/6-44.
The next day Heilich was taken to Odense and later sent to Germany. It is not
known which POW camp he was sent, but in February 1945 he arrived it
Nürnberg-Langwasser.
The body of Co-pilot 2nd Lt Donald M. Fuller was retrieved from the Store Bælt
on 21/6 and was laid to rest in Korsør cemetery on 22/6-1944. His remains were
disinterred on 29/4 1948 and were evacuated to the American cemetery at Neuville
en Condron in Belgium by the US military
On 8/7 Shoemaker Russel found the body of Rear gunner S/Sgt Jack E. Wagner
washed ashore on the east end of Ærøs hale on the island of Ærø. On 11/7 at
06:45 he was laid to rest in Marstal new cemetery with military honours. He
still rest there to this day.
Rear gunner S/Sgt Jack E. Wagner's grave in Marstal
(Ib Lødsen)
The body of S/Sgt Howard R. Penfield was found washed ashore on the beach near
Nordenbrogaard, Magleby Parish on 2/9-1944. He was laid to rest in Magleby
Churchyard on 4/9-1944. On 30/4-1948 his coffin was transferred to the American
Military Cemetery Neuville-en Condron in Belgium. Today he rest in St. Louis,
Missouri USA.
Penfield is still remembered in Magleby Cemetery.
Pilot 1st Lt Herschell R. Chappel, Radio operator T/Sgt Richard V. Owens, Top
turret gunner T/Sgt Harold H. Valentine and Ball turret gunner S/Sgt Ralph P.
Feliz have no known graves and their names are found on Tablets of the Missing
at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, England.
Navigator F/O Alex M. Rodek and Bombardier 2nd Lt Richard M. Mullins has no
known graves and their names are found on Tablets of the Missing at the
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margrate, Netherlands.
Sources: MACR, UA, ABMC.
Back to 1944
Top of page
|