On the base of the village sign.

Two rectangular metal plaques engraved with English text in black lettering, one plaque commemorates a B-17 crash with the loss of lives and the other is for those villagers who served in the wars. The American plaque has the depiction of the B-17 bomber plane in the center. 

On the 5th January 1944, a B17G “Flying Fortress” four-engine strategic heavy bomber of the USAAF crashed soon after take-off from Great Ashfield at Brook Farm in Badwell Ash. Of the nine crew, eight were killed and one suffered serious injuries but survived the war.

On that morning, the weather was bitterly cold and icy which may have contributed to the crash although the “official crash report” suggested pilot error was a contributory factor. The target assigned to the “Stars and Stripes” and the 117 other B17Gs that day was Merignac Airport, Bordeaux in South Western France.

The “Stars and Stripes” took off at 07.25 hours and was intended to climb to 30,000ft. to join the other B17Gs to fly in formation to Bordeaux. However, the plane only reached about 200 feet. The official crash report stated:

“Witnesses of the crash said the aircraft had reached an altitude of 200ft. when lost to sight. A few seconds later they saw a large flash resulting from this aircraft crashing into the ground. The position of the crash would indicate that the pilot started a slight turn to the right after the take-off. The pilot was probably flying on instruments at the time as it was during the hours of darkness.”

The plane crashed on farmland to the northwest of the Badwell Ash, off Langham Road near Brook Farm. It is probable that the pilot, Flying Officer William H Morris was aware that there was a problem with the aircraft and was trying to get back to Great Ashfield Airdrome. As a result of the crash, one bomb exploded and together with the impact of the crash, all the crew, bar one, was killed and debris from the plane was scattered over a large area. The plane was carrying 16 M31 300lb bombs.

One of the 0.50in. caliber Browning machine guns were “liberated” by one of the villagers who went to the crash site. That machine gun was eventually donated to the Rougham Control Tower Museum at Bury St. Edmunds.

There were nine men on the ”Stars and Stripes” that day. The official crash report said that “due to the sudden illness of one crew member just prior to take off, only nine men were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash”. The nine members of the crew were:

• Pilot – Flying Officer William H Morris
• Co-Pilot – 2nd Lt. Dennis J. Ziebarth
• Navigator – 2nd Lt. Richard S Proctor
• Bombardier – 2nd Lt Robert M Totaro
• Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt Russell A Stevens
• Radio Operator/Gunner – Sgt. Chester A Rober, Jr
• Ball Turret Gunner – S/Sgt Walter A Stuebgen
• Waist Gunner – Sgt. Stanley Lowitz
• Tail Gunner – S/Sgt Burnell W Hamilton

Only S/Sgt Burnell W Hamilton, the Tail Gunner, survived.

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, http://www.badwellashheritage.co.uk

Source of photos: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk

On 5th January 1944, eight us airmen were killed

and one seriously injured when the

B-17 #42-3544 "Stars and Stripes", based with the

358th Bomb Group at RAF Great Ashfield,

crash landed at Brook Farm near the border

of Langham with Badwell Ash.

(First four columns)

(continuation…)

In grateful memory

from the residents of

Badwell Ash and Langham