Latest news with #B-17FlyingFortress
BBC News
23-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Family's journey to honour WW2 airman at crash site
Relatives of an American airman who died in the Isle of Man's biggest aviation disaster are visiting the site of the crash 80 years service personnel were travelling from Essex to Northern Ireland on a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber when it hit the rocky hillside of North Barrule, killing all 31 on board. Donald Madar is the great nephew of technician Andy Piter Jr, from Pennsylvania, who was 22 when he died in the crash. He said he was visiting the site with his cousins for the first time "to honour him". Mr Madar had planned on making the trip for the 75th anniversary in 2020 but was unable to due to the coronavirus pandemic. Just weeks before the end of World War Two, on 23 April 1945, the servicemen were due to visit Belfast for a few days of group were to have a short break from the base at Ridgewell in Essex where they repaired Madar said: "I started investigating his life back in 2003 and I was able to talk to many of the folks that he served with at Ridgewell."I kept digging and he became a very interesting figure for us."In his grandmother's house there was "a painting of Andy", he said, adding: "We all looked up to him as our family hero."Mr Madar said he thought it would be very "touching" to visit the site where remains of the wreckage remain to this day. "I'm sure we'll all be shedding a tear, it will be a touching spot," he year, members of the Manx Aviation and Military Museum fly the American flag next to the memorial. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Exhibition remembers WW2 crash that killed 17
A new exhibition has been curated to remember the crews of two bomber aircraft that collided in 1944 while preparing for a bombing raid in Germany. The B-17 Flying Fortress planes were destroyed in the skies above Stanwick Lakes in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, during World War Two. Three men survived the incident on 22 February that year and returned to active service. The memorial exhibition held at Stanwick Lakes' visitor centre from 15 to 23 February would be "compassionate", its organisers said. Volunteers have been researching the collision and collecting memories from local people to add to information already on display. Nadia Norman, heritage coordinator at Stanwick Lakes, said the families of those involved had "kindly shared" items for the exhibition. "This event will display artefacts and the historic stories of the time, including personal photos and stories on the lives of the airmen themselves," she added. The Flying Fortress was developed in the 1930s as a bomber plane that combined high altitude with speed. It went on to drop more bombs than any other aircraft during WW2. The two B-17s involved in the crash were part of Operation Argument, an allied forces operation targeting factories, aircraft manufacturers, shipyards and military facilities. They each carried 10 crew members, including a bombardier who dropped the bombs and five gunners. One of the planes, nicknamed "June Bug", took off from 384 Bombardment group's base at Grafton Underwood in Northamptonshire. The other, known as Hell's Angel's II, began its journey at 303 Bombardment's headquarters at Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. One witness recalled the crash happened when "the wing of one plane sliced into the fuselage of another, chopping off the tailplane". Debris spread over a wide area, including Stanwick Lakes. The navigator and bombardier from June Bug and a gunner from Hell's Angels II parachuted to safety and returned to duty. The exhibition is due to open on 15 February and will run from 10:00 BST until 15:00. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Tribute to US airmen 80 years after fatal crash Exhibition opens to mark military aircraft crash Stanwick Lakes
BBC News
08-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Northamptonshire exhibition remembers Stanwick Lakes collision
A new exhibition has been curated to remember the crews of two bomber aircraft that collided in 1944 while preparing for a bombing raid in B-17 Flying Fortress planes were destroyed in the skies above Stanwick Lakes in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, during World War men survived the incident on 22 February that year and returned to active memorial exhibition held at Stanwick Lakes' visitor centre from 15 to 23 February would be "compassionate", its organisers said. Volunteers have been researching the collision and collecting memories from local people to add to information already on Norman, heritage coordinator at Stanwick Lakes, said the families of those involved had "kindly shared" items for the exhibition."This event will display artefacts and the historic stories of the time, including personal photos and stories on the lives of the airmen themselves," she added. The Flying Fortress was developed in the 1930s as a bomber plane that combined high altitude with went on to drop more bombs than any other aircraft during two B-17s involved in the crash were part of Operation Argument, an allied forces operation targeting factories, aircraft manufacturers, shipyards and military each carried 10 crew members, including a bombardier who dropped the bombs and five gunners. One of the planes, nicknamed "June Bug", took off from 384 Bombardment group's base at Grafton Underwood in other, known as Hell's Angel's II, began its journey at 303 Bombardment's headquarters at Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. One witness recalled the crash happened when "the wing of one plane sliced into the fuselage of another, chopping off the tailplane".Debris spread over a wide area, including Stanwick navigator and bombardier from June Bug and a gunner from Hell's Angels II parachuted to safety and returned to exhibition is due to open on 15 February and will run from 10:00 BST until 15:00. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
