42-95247 Dixie flyer
Shot down 12 September 1944 4 KIA 5 POWs. On Tuesday, September 12, 1944, Dixie Flyer took off from Tibenham around 4:30 a.m for an attack on Misburg, Germany. Dixie Flyer was fired upon by the anti-aircraft battery near the village of Hollum in the Netherlands. After the aircraft passed Hollum, it turned in a southeasterly direction. Eyewitnesses saw that some of the crew jumped out of the plane with their parachutes. After part of the crew jumped out of the plane, the aircraft turned on its back and crashed in a meadow east of the village of Hollum. After examining the wreckage, the bodies of four killed airmen were found. Three of the airmen could be identified, despite being badly maimed and burned. The fourth victim could only be identified later. The four killed pilots were buried at the General Cemetery in Nes the day after the crash. The five crew members who were captured by the Germans were taken to various prisoner of war camps, where they spent the rest of the war. According to Brad Wilson, one of the B-24 survivors, "As soon as we came into range of the Flak guns, all hell broke loose. It was as if they threw gravel at the plane. The plane stood on one wing and fell out of formation. I knew then that we had been hit. I grabbed my stuff and went to the cockpit, there I saw that the pilot had injured his legs and that the co-pilot was flying the plane. He asked me what course he should fly. I told him to follow the coast and try to reach Antwerp, which had now been liberated by the Allies. With the loss of two engines and a third losing power, it was not possible to reach Antwerp. At Ameland it was decided to abandon the plane. Even though we had lowered the landing gear as a sign of surrender, we were fired upon by the Flak battery on Ameland. The co-pilot signaled to leave the plane. I jumped out of the plane. I thought about the instructions we had been given. Count to 10 and then pull the rope. I counted to three and pulled the rope. Nothing happened. I then pulled out the parachute by hand, during the landing we were fired upon by German soldiers. I had hardly landed when a German soldier captured me. I was taken to the other four, who had also left the plane. In the evening we were taken by boat to the mainland for transport to various prisoner of war camps." The five survivors spent the rest of the war there. The fact that four people died in the crash was probably the result of the failure of the intercom. The four crew members who died were in the back of the aircraft. In all likelihood they had taken their crash position."
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 31341437
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 42010197
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-706717
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 445th Bomb Group 702nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12030094
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Tail Gunner
Missions
- Date: 12 September 1944
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Other Failed to Return (FTR) Over Water (OW) |
12 September 1944 |