B-17 43-38175 (I'll Be Seeing You) Memorial - Warsaw Uprising Support
Details:
On the southern-east side of the cemetery, World War II section. There are 2 flag poles (not the entrance gate flag poles) marking the monument.
Monument
A nine-foot granite monolith with the names of the ten crew members engraved on it. The commemoration message is written in Polish. Every year on September 18, a ceremony is held to remember the crew. The monument was erected in 1986.
B-17 #43-38175 “I’ll Be Seeing You” also known as “’Til We Meet Again” was hit by flak while on a mercy flight on September 18, 1944, after having left Framlingham, England, to begin Mission #191. Part of a mission of mercy to airdrop canisters of food, weapons, and medical supplies to the bedraggled Polish Underground Army in Warsaw during what became known as "The Warsaw Uprising", the "I'll Be Seeing You" was accompanied by 107 other B-17's, as well as 152 fighters. During this mission, the plane was hit by German flak. Three men managed to bail out successfully before the bomber hit the ground. Unfortunately, they drifted into an area north of Warsaw that was already in the hands of German SS troops. As they slowly fell to earth, they were raked by gunfire. One man was killed, while the other two were captured and spent four months in Nazi POW camps. The pilot and the other six members of his crew were killed when the bomber hit the ground and exploded. The "I'll Be Seeing You" was the only plane lost in the mission.
The crew members were:
Position |
Rank |
Name |
Status |
P |
1LT |
Francis E. Akins |
KIA |
CP |
1LT |
Forrest D. Shaw |
KIA |
NAV |
F/O |
Ely Berenson |
KIA |
BOMB |
2LT |
Myron S. Merrill |
KIA |
ENG/TT |
T/SGT |
Frank P. De Cillis |
KIA |
RO |
T/SGT |
Marcus L. Shook |
EVD |
BT |
S/SGT |
George A. McPhee |
KIA |
WG |
S/SGT |
Paul F. Haney |
KIA |
TG |
S/SGT |
Walter P. Shimshock |
KIA |
PASS |
SGT |
James D. Christy |
POW |
Source of information: www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov, www.findagrave.com, b17flyingfortress.de
Monument Text:
PAMIĘCI BOHATERSKIEJ ZAŁOGI
por FRANCIS AKINS |
sierż GEORGE McPHEE |
ppor FOREST SHAW |
sierż MARCUS SHOOK |
ppor ELY BERENSON |
sierż WALTER SHIMSHOCK |
ppor MYRON MERRILL |
sierż JAMES CHRISTY |
sierż FRANK de CILLIS |
sierż PAUL HANEY |
NIOSACEJ POMOC POWSTANCZEJ WARSZAWIE SAMOLOTEM SIL POWIETRZNYCH U.S.A. BOEING B-17G, DO ZOBACZENIA ZESTRZELONEJ 18IX1944r. NAD DZIEKANOWEM LESNYM PRZEZ ARTYLERIE NIEMIECKA
SPOŁECZENSTWO ŁOMIANEK
English translation:
IN MEMORY OF THE HEROIC CREW
1LT FRANCIS AKINS |
SGT GEORGE McPHEE |
2LT FOREST SHAW |
SGT MARCUS SHOOK |
2LT ELY BERENSON |
SGT WALTER SHIMSHOCK |
2LT MYRON MERRILL |
SGT JAMES CHRISTY |
SGT FRANK de CILLIS |
SGT PAUL HANEY |
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO THE UPRISING WARSAW BY U.S. AIR FORCE AIRCRAFT, BOEING B-17G I’LL BE SEEING YOU WAS SHOT DOWN ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1944, OVER DZIEKANOW LESNY BY GERMAN ARTILLERY.
LOMIANEK SOCIETY
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
389th Bomber Group (Heavy)
564th Bomber Squadron, 389th Bomber Group, Heavy
8th Air Force
Resistance
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Operation Frantic
Other images :