44-8436 Fort Worth Jail House
Associated people, unit and aircraft
On 5 May 1945, just three days before the end of World War II, seven young men climbed into a B-17 from the 326th Squadron and took off from RAF Podington. 1st Lt Reginald Hammond, 1st Lt Robert Sprout, 2nd Lt William J Dutton, T/Sgt Jacob Buikema, S/Sgt Daniel Minkon, 2nd Lt John Duffy, and the radio controller Sgt Len Nitti. The synopsis of their story was that, lost in poor weather and limited visibility (just as today), the B-17 circled twice over Highclere Castle and then headed south. They hit the trees on Sidown Hill, tumbling into flames and wreckage. All on the Estate rushed up the hill to help, but only one man survived - Sgt Len Nitti. Nitti died in 2018. A monument on the Highclere Castle grounds commemorates the crew.
Delivered Lincoln 16/9/44; Grenier 1/10/44; Assigned 326BS/92BG [JW-H] Podington 8/11/44, crash landed Sidow Hill, Wilts, UK with Reg Hammond 5/5/45 (1 survived); Salvaged 6/5/45.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 36742604
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Flight engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32428704 / O-2015311
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-783932
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 16153156 / O-828164
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 92nd Bomb Group 326th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 32983306
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Gunner
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Aircraft crash site
Revisions
Highclere Castle Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highclere_castle/p/C6mCBc5Cpe7/?hl=en
Added information provided by user RandySprout from duplicate aircraft record "Both Patti and Mary Nitti have been in touch with us and I hope may join us in September. We would welcome any of the other airmen’s descendants too. Paul McTaggart from Highclere also found a photograph of the plane – it is in a diner in Fort Worth, Texas."