30197 (385th BG, 550th BS, 'Mission Belle') lost Apr 11, 1944. MACR 3822
from
1944 Crash - 8th Air Force - 385th Bombardment Group - B-17F - "Mission Belle" #42-30197 :
Mission Bell" with registration number 42-30197.
It had so far participated in over 60's bombing mission over Germany.
The plane had once again started with hundreds of other
from Great Ashfild in England in the morning. Bomb Group Mission
was to wipe out industries in Politzer (then a German city that now belongs to Poland).
In bombing struck one of the engines at Mission Bell by
German anti-aircraft shell and became inoperable. Mission Bell could
therefore no longer keep up with the bomb group, but left the for-
mation. Shortly thereafter, also stopped on the third engine of the plane.
In this mode, the pilot reported that they planned to travel to
neutral Sweden to make a forced landing.
Swedish military telegraphed to the army leadership that a Flying Fortress
had been discovered south of Utlangan at 13:44. It was Mission Bell
an hour later, after circling in the skies between Kristianopel
Bergkvara and, finally, emergency landing at Molle Hall.
But the local HOME GUARD respective military was what was on the welcoming committee Molle Hall on the afternoon of April 11, 1944?
The crew of Mission Bell consisted of the following young airmen:
Duane Pangle, pilot (Lieutenant)
Önner Davis, co-pilot (Lieutenant)
In Samuel Kaiser, navigator (Lt.)
Robert C. Breasbois, tower gunner (Sergeant)
Herbert L Witherington, new towers (sergeant)
James E. Gant, telegraph (Sergeant)
Herold C jones, bombardier (Sergeant)
Thomas W. Cavanagh, bombardier (Sergeant)
Arthur V Brandt, right gunner (Sergeant)
Vincent L Corleto, left gunner (Sergeant)
The pilot, Duane Pangle, told me before he died with the rank of major in
March 2003, that his entire crew were interned in camps in the Loka
Värmland and held there until just a few months before the end of the war
in May 1945.