B-17 (42-30207) 'Big Red' Airmen Monument -388th Bomber Group
Details:
On the north side of the road.
Monument
A sleek, vertical rectangular monument made of metallic material honoring the five crew members of the aircraft, listing their names, who died on March 27, 1944. The inscriptions are in both English and French. Note: According to our research, only 4 airmen died in the incident while George W. Hewett survived and was taken as a POW.
On March 27, 1944, twenty-one aircraft from the 388th Bomb Group, including the B-17 bomber "Big Red," with a 10-men crew, departed Knettishall for a mission targeting Bordeaux, France. Big Red, flying at 20,900 feet, encountered a fire in the top turret motor near the target area, which spread quickly through the aircraft. The pilot, Julius Lederman, gave the order to bail out at 15,000 feet.
Five crew members successfully parachuted to safety and the tail Gunner also escaped through his emergency hatch. However, four others—George Schwarzkopf, Joseph Kapec, Louis Mizera, and Blair Harmon—were trapped aboard when the main escape hatch jammed. Louis Mizera jumped without a parachute and was severely injured, later dying before reaching the hospital.
As the aircraft, fully loaded with oxygen, fuel, and bombs, fell rapidly, it exploded mid-air, breaking into three pieces above the Forest of Aizenay. The German Army later destroyed the remaining wreckage of Big Red.
Source of information:http://b17.bigred.free.fr/
Source of photos: www.aerosteles.net
Monument Text:
On the front side of the monument:
TO THE
EIGHTH AMERICAN AIR FORCE DIVISION
AND ITS 388 BOMB GROUP
HONORED FOR THE LIBERATION
OF FRANCE
IN MEMORY OF THEIR FIVE PILOTS
WHO DIED HERE
ON MARCH 27. 1944
A SPECIAL TRIBUTE
FROM
THE THANKFUL PEOPLE OF VENDEE
On the upper right side of the monument:
MONUMENT ERIGE
PAR LA MUNICIPALITE D'AIZENAY
AVEC L'AIDE DU CONSEIL GENERAL
DE LA VENDEE
EN SOUVENIR
DU CINQUANTENAIRE DE LA CHUTE
D' DE LA FORTERESSE VOLANTE
• BIG RED •
DU 388ème BOMB-GROUP
QUI S•EST ECRASEE ICI MEME
LE LUNDI 27 MARS 1944
A LA MEMOIRE
DES CINQ JEUNES AMERICAINS
DE LA 8ème AIR FORCE
QUI FIRENT LE SACRIFICE DE
LEUR VIE POUR AIDER LES FRANCAIS
A SE LIBERER DU JOUG HITLERIEN
English Translation:
MONUMENT ERECTED
BY THE MUNICIPALITY OF AIZENAY
WITH THE HELP OF THE GENERAL
COUNCIL OF VENDEE
IN MEMORY
OF THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF
THE FLYING FORTRESS
• BIG RED •
OF THE 388th BOMB GROUP
WHICH CRASHED HERE
ON MONDAY, MARCH 27, 1944
IN MEMORY
OF THE FIVE YOUNG AMERICANS
OF THE 8th AIR FORCE
WHO SACRIFICED THEIR
LIVES TO HELP THE FRENCH
FREE THEMSELVES FROM THE HITLER YOK
On the lower right side of the monument:
BLAIR H HARMAN
GEORGE W HEWETT
JOSEPH KAPEC
LOUIS MIZERA
GEORGE M SCWARZKOPH
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
388th Bombardment Group (Heavy)
561st Bomber Squadron, 388th Bomber Group, Heavy
8th Air Force
United States Air Force
Wars:
WWII
Other images :
