Crash Site B-17F 42-29798

On 28 juli 1943 B-17F 42-29798 of 327 Squadron 8th USAAF, made a bomb raid to Kassel. During the return flight to Alconbury, the aircraft was attacked by German fighters. This took a long time and the B-17 lost a lot of fuel. It had to make a forced landing in the Binnenveld Area. The aircraft landed without much damage. The crew wasn’t injured. Attempts to set the aircraft on fire, were unsuccessful. The entire crew was made POW.

There’s no memorial at the crash site.

The entire crew taken prisoner consisted of:
1st Lt. Benjamin F. Smotherman, Pilot
1st Lt. David P. Pollack, Co-pilot
2nd Lt. Sidney L. Leigh, Navigator
T/Sgt. Atlee J. Pierson, Flight Engineer
Sgt. M.V. Mackenzie, Bomb Aimer
T/Sgt. Jack Fogarty, Radio Operator
S/Sgt. V.M. Chandler, Turret Gunner
S/Sgt. Fred J. Rentz, Tail Gunner
S/Sgt. Curtiss L. Moore, Right Wing Gunner
S/Sgt. Jim O’Connell, Left Wing Gunner

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Arjan Vrieze + Corin Gelderblom
• Photos: Corin Gelderblom (1), Arjan Vrieze (2, 3)