Crashed at Barnedrecht on 5 Apr 45 in B-24 'Pin-Up Girl' #42-94941, Prisoner of War (POW).



Okla 'Okey' Edgell enlisted in October of 1943, did his gunnery training in Florida and then in Charleston was assigned to Robert LaJoie's B-24 crew as tail gunner. The Crew shipped to England and joined 705th Squadron 446th BG at Flixton/Bungay.



Their 13th mission on April 5th 1945 to hit a ball-bearing factory at Bayreuth proved to be their last. The mission was forced to abort due to bad weather over the target, formations broke up and LaJoie's 'Pin- up Girl' pulled up behind four B-17's two of whom were almost immediately downed by flak. The 'Pin-up Girl' -still over Holland -was hit, one engine knocked out, a second damaged and the bomb bay doors jammed shut with all bombs still intact. LaJoie tried to head for France but was killed along with three other crew members by a 'snowstorm of flak' and the plane crash landed with navigator, co-pilot and Edgell still on board. They were all wounded but fortunately thrown clear. The co-pilot Edward Beebe was worse hit and Edgell bribed the surrounding Germans with six packs of cigarettes to move Beebe away from the burning plane.



The men were first taken to a farm house and hidden in the attic to prevent any rescue by the Dutch underground. They were eventually taken to hospital in Rotterdam where one lady - earlier observed talking to SS men - brought Edgell some flowers and asked him a lot of questions. When dismissed from hospital he was lined up in a firing-squad area, put in isolation for three days and then taken to a prison in Aalsmeer; but not for long being liberated by the Canadian army on 5th May 1945.



'Okey' Edgell has been back to Barendrecht in Holland where 'Pin-up Girl' came down many times. In April 2008 he and his wife made a special trip to re-visit the places where he was held. Dutch television even organsied a plane trip which mirrored that of his B-24, 'much more pleasant this time'. In May they returned yet again to celebrate Dutch Liberation Day where they were guests of honour, along with the families of Australian and German pilots also buried in the cemetery at Barendrecht.