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B 24J 44-40443 crashed near Holt, Suffolk, England
24/8-1944.
The aircraft belonged to USAAF, 8 Air Force, 34 Bomb Group, 4 Bomb Squadron.
T/O Mendleshaml. OP: Kiel.
44-40443 was hit by flak in # 1 engine causing considerable loss of fuel. While
on position 53`40N 04`05E the engineer reported that there was only fuel left
for 3 minutes of flying and Pilot Major Joseph O. Garrett ordered the crew to
bail out. Nine men bailed out but Garrett was unable to leave as the B 24 went
into a spin. He managed to right the plane and decided to fly towards England
until he ran out of fuel.
(Via Finn Buch)
Pilot Major Joseph O. Garrett
He actually reached England and bailed out over Holt, Suffolf. The plane crashed
in a house, but luckily no one was hurt.
The body of Ball turret gunner S/Sgt Bernard Sabbath was washed ashore on the
beach south of Stenbjerg Landingsplads late September, probably 25/9.
(Via Finn Buch)
Ball turret gunner S/Sgt Bernard Sabbath
It was clear that he had been hit by bullets in chest and thigh. Receiver of
wrecks Jens Martin Jensen pulled the body from the sea and asked the Wehrmacht
for permission to give the body a proper burial.
The Wehrmacht denied that and buried it on 27/9-1944 on the spot where Jensen
had pulled it to.
Jensen and other local people found that most improper, and Chief local
inspector of dune Axel Rasmussen approached Second in command in Hansted
Korvettenkapitän Knippenberg, and through him received permission to lay the
Sabbath to rest in Stenbjerg cemetery.
The permission was given on the grounds that there would be no demonstration
during the funeral.
On 2/1 1945 at 14:30 hours was Bernard Sabbath laid to rest in Stenbjerg
cemetery with Reverend Nielsen officiating at the graveside ceremony.
(Thisted Museum)
Sabbaths grave in the dunes
(Thisted Museum)
(Museumcenter Hanstholm)
The original german cross was reused at the Stenbjerg cemetery. Now with
Sabbaths name added.
(Museumcenter Hanstholm)
The headstone at Stenbjerg cemetery from after the war.
His remains were disinterred on 4/5 1948 and were evacuated to the American
cemetery at Neuville en Condron in Belgium by the US military. Today Sabbath
rest in USA
Pilot 1st Lt William Mackey, Navigator 1st Lt John Gallagher, Navigator # 2 1st
Lt Thomas Hogan, Bombardier 1st Lt Gordon B. Matson, Radio operator T/Sgt Serrafine Corrales, Waist Gunner S/Sgt Clifford H. Smith, Tail Gunner S/Sgt Saul
Spivak and Nose Gunner S/Sgt Burton C. Holtzman have no known graves and their
names are found on Tablets of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery,
Cambridge, England.
(Via Finn Buch)
Pilot 1st Lt William Mackey
(Via Finn Buch)
Back row: Smith, Corrales, Holtzman
Front: Longinette, Sabbath, Spivak
(Via Finn Buch)
Back row: Smith, Longinette, Holtzman
Front: Carrales, Sabbath, Spivak
(Via Finn Buch)
Back row: Bortz, Gallagher, Matson, Holtzman, Mackey
Front: Smith, Longinette, Corrales, Sabbath
(Via Finn Buch)
Sources: UA, FB, FAF.
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