Crash Site Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-102645 KY-A

About 200 metres diagonally behind this memorial, the USAAF's B-17G, 42-102645 KY-A made an emergency landing on 9 August 1944. This memorial commemorates the crew of which four did not survive the crash landing. The B-17 Can Do working group has done extensive research on this crash as witnessed by the report below.

‘The second and last flight of the B-17G, serial no 42-102645, KY-A, 305BG-365BS. (Source : Missing Air Crew Report 8067 8USAAF, family, Sue Dean the sister of Jerry McEldowney, résistance réseau Comète and testimonies of André Vandenhaute, Sylvain Van De Mergel +, Agnes Morre and Marcel Verstichelen +).

Chelveston Air Base England, at dawn 9 Aug 1944. A formation of heavy US B-17G bombers takes off. A perfected version with a turret at the bottom and all turrets equipped with double-bellow Browning machine guns. Code assignment 8-AF-533. Bomb drop-pen on aircraft tank factories, airports and fuel tanks over southern Germany, target is Munich. Due to bad weather, the target is changed to Karlsruhe. On the return flight, a B-17G is hit by the infamous German anti-aircraft gun ‘88 mm Flak’. Consequence, the bomber has to leave the formation. It is only in Luxembourg airspace when a German fighter plane ‘Messerschmitt Bf 109G’ has it in its sights. With its 2 machine guns MG131 and its MG151/20 cannon, it shelles the B-17G. The left engines catch fire, the bomber loses altitude and is almost uncontrollable. Near Tubize and Clabecq (Walloon Brabant), 4 crew members, Kenneth V. French, Henry F. Colt , Harold F. Kilmer and Andrew E. Kuhn are ordered by pilot-board commander Clayton E. Child to abandon the aircraft. Indeed, only 4 intact parachutes are available, the other 5 are out of order due to bullet impacts. These 4 land safely on the ground and receive help from the network ‘Comète’ (founded by Andrée De Jongh that has carried some 800 soldiers and about 300 airmen to safety via escape route during WWII). The four crew members reach England safely. The B-17G crashes here in Zegelsem on Wednesday 09 Aug 1944 at 11h02 local time , some 200 metres diagonally behind where you are standing now, on the right behind the large mansion. Clayton E. Child, the pilot and commander, is taken prisoner by the Germans. After the war, he returned to America. The other four crew members did not survive. Hit by anti-aircraft fire , by bullet impacts from the fighter plane or in the crash? John B. Dubinskas , John R. Waldren, Grady Lucus Jr. and Jerry McEldowney are temporarily buried in Oudenaarde's municipal cemetery. After the war, 3 of them are repatriated to their birthplace. At the US Military Cemetery Neuville-en-Condroz (near Liège), Jerry McEldowney is eventually reburied.

Many sacrificed their young lives in a foreign land for our freedom. Let us not forget them!’

B-17 Can Do working group, NSB Brakel centre, Brakel town council. Thanks to the many contributors for their contribution. Prepared by Kris Van Daele.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Kris van Daele
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge