UPL 20840

IMAGE

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The plaque to the memory of Sgt Kenneth Kingsland. It reads : TO THE MEMORY OF KENNETH KINGSLAND Here on 14 March 1945, on return from a mission to Germany, the "BELLE RINGER", a B-24 Liberator bomber from the 854th Squadron of the 491st Bomber Group, made a forced landing. Its left wing hit the isolated house with the orange roof you can notice behind you. The aircraft ended its course in the field facing this chapel. Sergent Kenneth Kingsland, from Connecticut and aged 27, lost his life. He is buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz. * Ayez une pensée pour Kenneth qui est mort pour notre liberté * Have a thought for Kenneth who died for our freedom. (The captions of the photos in the left-hand column) : The débris of the plane facing the chapel (in the background on the photo). An engine from the left wing in front of the small isolated house at the edge of the Chaussée de Dinant (chapel in the background) (The captions of the photos in the right-hand column) : Sergent Kenneth Kingsland (engineer). He had three sisters and he was married. On the left, the insignia of the 8th Air Force to which the aircraft belonged. To the right, that of the 491st Bombardment Group. "Belle Ringer" was the name given to the plane by its crew. (At bottom) The crew of the "Belle Ringer" (photo montage) [ NOTE : this is a composite photo, where the faces of two new members of the Heichel crew in the May 1945 photo have been replaced by those of Kenneth Kingsland and Navigator Seymour Eisenstat ] Standing from left to right : Sergent Anthony Turco, Radio; Lieutenant Seymour Eisenstat, Navigator; Lieutenant Thomas Alexander, Co-Pilot; Lieutenant Robert Heichel, Pilot; Sergent Philip Trimmer, Gunner. Kneeling, from left to right : Sergent Glen Lebleu, Gunner; Sergent Rheudolph Cain, Gunner; Sergent Lacy Gilliam, Gunner; Sergent Kenneth Kingsland, Engineer/Gunner. (At the bottom of the plaque, in blue, a short text in English summarizing the events and Sgt Kingsland's fate)

Connections

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Units

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 854th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 31379109
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Flight Engineer / Top Turret Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 38554671
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 13180874
  • Highest Rank: Sergeant (RAF)
  • Role/Job: Gunner
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 491st Bomb Group 852nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 33801048
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator

Aircraft

Mission

Revisions

Date:
ContributorED-BB
ChangesChanges to caption
Sources

Corrected typo in the text

Date:
ContributorED-BB
ChangesCreated entry with caption, unit associations, person associations, aircraft associations and mission associations
Sources

Added photo of the plaque inaugurated on 12 March 2016 at the crash place of #42-51195 in Florée, Belgium