Crash Site B17 42-31898 "Irene A"

Freer's Wood, Chellington

England Bedfordshire Chellington

This memorial in the forest recalls the spot where a B17 Flying Fortress crashed during a training mission in World War II. It is not an official memorial, just something made by someone to mark the fact that three soldiers lost their lives at this spot.

About 100 metres west of the footpath leading away from the ruins of Freer's Wood Farm, there is a vehicle entrance to the wood. The memorial is a few metres further into the woods on the left.

The aircraft belonging to the 326th Squadron of the 92nd Bomb Group was 15 July 1944 on an afternoon training mission. While attempting to land, the wheels bounced on the runway and the plane climbed back into the air with one wing engulfed in flames.

The pilot Lt Alford, climbed to about 900 feet, flew horizontally and ordered the crew to jump. The plane crashed and burned about six miles south of the base. 2nd Lt Stanley Nadel the navigator, and T/Sgt Paul R. Horton were killed in the crash. Air gunner Sgt Bruce C. Baker, Jr. parachuted but his parachute malfunctioned and he was killed instantly when he hit the ground. Lt Alford and his co-pilot, 2nd Lt Robert E. Williams parachuted safely without injuries; T/Sgt Thomas J. Madden, the flight engineer parachuted safely with only minor skin wounds."

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