B-17's that took a beating (1 Viewer)

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thank you friends...
and here are the pics of those two who didn´t survive:
Joe Marinello, ball turret gunner- Joe belives he was KIA onboard yet when the attack began. The ball turret got jammed so Joe Owsianik tried to crancle it by hand to get into position for opening the gate but no chance...So he run to the emergency door behind the right waist, kicked them out and bailed out...
Russell Meyrick, bombardier- bailed out but his chute was full of fuel and caught fire. So Russell fell down without chute. People from nearby village Rudice (where they were later buried) heard him yelling... He hit the ground by his head so fast that they even weren´t able to pull him out...

A sad story as millions of others...
 

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and since 2004 there´s a Holy Mess at the Meyrick´s tree (next to the place where Merick fell down) every year on last August Sunday...
 

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That's awesome that they did it for some one they didn't know.

For those of you looking for a life and death struggles of a B-17 read the book Valor at Polebrook, The last flight of Ten Horsepower by Rick School and Jeff Rogers. Ten Horsepower is probably the single highest awarded crew for valor of any B-17 crews with two Medal of Honor winners and may other awards for just one mission. A good show of heroism yet at the same time very sad.
 
I was asking the same thing earlier but i made a mistake. Seesul i am glad to see those pics makes me feel good inside about people in general (ok maybe not lucky sometimes, he's cranky,) but still i cant help but feel for the people that fought, or lived there at that time. the same here in the U.S. hell if it werent for them folk id be writin in german right now:D
 
What is the story behind the bomb going for the B-17?


Elevator broke away and that B-17 went down...

My friend Joe told me similar story- once, when they were on the mission over France, the bomb run started and one of their bombs fell down into the B-25´s formation flying at lower altitude. Joe seen the bomb hit one Mitchell, Mitchell left formation and went down. I don´t know if some chutes were seen...
 
After he bailed out and opened his chute, he was trying to land in woods in order to hide himself. He was succesful but people from nearby village found him there and toke him home. He stood there overnight but on the other day one woman told it to police so Germans came there and captured him. Before Germans came there, Kirsch gave his first aid kit and ring to his savers. Germans were on the way from another B-17 crashplace (Vyskovec) and have rests of bodies of American fliers loaded on this truck. He took Kirsch on this truck, brought him to Slavicin (town, where I was born) and put him into jail. Germans let the bodies in morque and they were buried on the other day.
Kirsch ended up as a POW in Stalag luft IV. Lives in Pitsburg,Pensylvania and send me 3 letters and pics.
 

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O found that the B-17 just was under the other during bomb release but it managed to get back safley
 
O found that the B-17 just was under the other during bomb release but it managed to get back safley

Don´t think so. I´ve seen 3 pictures of this machines somewhere- before being hit, being hit and going down. Don´t know where. Have to found it yet.
There´s no time now. There´s icehockey match now and can´t miss it.
See you tomorrow guys.
 

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