Over 60 years ago thousands of aircraft flew over the territory of the Europe that was suffering under the Nazi reign. Although the fierce and bloody aerial battles disappeared long ago in the shadows of the past, one shadow will remain here forever. Anyone who flies or drives along the road from Warsaw to Biala Podlaska (Poland) will pass in Woroniec, 10 km away from Biala Podlaska, a full-size B-17 outline that commemorates all USAAF airmen who died over Europe in WW2. The shadow - the American Airmen Memorial - was unveiled in 2000. The location of the Memorial is symbolic. Within a kilometer of the Memorial there is a B-17 crash site that is most remote from any wartime American base in Italy or Britain. It represents the reach of the USAAF offensive over Europe in WW2 and the price this force had to pay in its efforts to bomb the Nazi industry out of the war. Standing above the shadow, a full-size replica of the Fortress tail bears the markings of the aircraft shot down on June 21st 1944 - the B-17G number 42-38202 "BTO in the ETO" of the 452nd Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. The bomber fell to the Luftwaffe fighters during the first "shuttle" mission from England to Ukraine. The "shuttle" missions used the USRR air bases that were made available to the USAAF on the permission from Stalin. The names of the crew are engraved on one side of the rudder. The other side carries a dedication in Polish and English to all American airmen who gave their lives in the war, and a statement of thanks from the Polish people. The "BTO in the ETO" crew was much more lucky than the thousands of young Americans commemorated with the Memorial. All ten crew members managed to leave the burning machine. Just as they hang under their chutes, a fierce race begun on the ground between the German army and the Polish soldiers of the "Zenon" Partisan Party of the 34th Infantry Regiment, AK (Home Army). The freedom of the Americans was at stake. Seven allied airmen were saved by the Polish underground. The remaining three were captured by the Nazis and spent the rest of the war in the POW camps. The rescued airmen took part in the actions of "Zenon" partisan unit for six weeks until the Red Army overrun the area. Then they were transferred to the Russians who secured their return trip to Britain. The crew: Captured by Germans: T/Sgt. JACK P WHITE, S/Sgt. WILLIAM CABANISS B. T., S/Sgt. ARNOLD G. SHUMATE The lucky Seven: 1st/Lt. LOUIS R. HERNANDEZ, 2nd/Lt. THOMAS J. MADDEN, 2nd/Lt. ALFRED R. LEA, 2nd/Lt. JOSEPH BAKER, T/Sgt. ANTHONY HUTCHINSON, S/Sgt. HERSCHEL WISE , S/Sgt. ROBERT GILBERT attached picture shows the Memorial site on June 2000 - short after construction
This memorial unfolds little known history of the USAAF 8th Air Force overflying Germany and German occupied territory on to Russian bases.This particular aircraft after bombing the synthetic oil plant at Ruhland was shot down on its way to Russia. The intended Russian base may have been Poltava which subsequently was attacked by the Luffewaffe and 44 B17s were destroyed on the ground and 26 damaged. In the bomber force were 32 groundstaff who were used as waist gunners but the intention was that these groundcrew,all volunteers, would be the advance party to support Mustang operations from Russian bases.One of these was Staff Sgt Robert L Gilbert,mentioned by laufer as a crewman of B17G 42-38202, the crew chief to Major James Goodson, the CO of 336 Fighter Squadron based at Debden.When Gilbert was debriefed,he reported he baled out when the aircraft was on fire and fell with others into friendly hands,namely Polish partisans.He spent 5 weeks with Polish partisans before being passed on to the Russians.From a US base in Russia he was flown to North Africa and then to Debden where he arrived in mid August. This B17 G would have been an aircraft from one of the 728,729,730 or 731 Bomber Squadrons who were part of the 452nd Bombardment Group based at Deopham Green near Norwich. Major James Goodson, his CO and an ace, found his luck had run out when he was downed in enemy territory when strafing ground positions.He spent the rest of the war in the bag and missed being reunited with his crew chief when he failed to return the day before Staff Sgt Gilbert arrived back at Debden. Pleased to see that these airmen are being remembered by those who they sought to make free.
