| Date: 1943 Aug19/19 | A/C Type: B-17F | SN: 42-5392 | Code: GN-X | A/C Nickname: Stric Nine |  |
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| File: 268 | Airforce: USAAF | Sqn/Unit: 303 BG - 427 BS | Mission/Raid: Gilzen Rijen Airfield (near Breda, NL) | |||||||
| 1 | Pilot | 2Lt. Lauren H. Quillen washed ashore Zandvoort* | 9 | Gunner | S/Sgt. Paul W. Abernathy POW | |||||
| 2 | Co-Pilot | 2Lt. John R. Homan MIA | 10 | TG | Arthur K. Sauer POW | |||||
| 3 | Nav | 2Lt. Bevan W. Colby washed ashore Den Helder | 11 | |||||||
| 4 | B | 2 Lt. William N. Irish washed ashore The Hague | 12 | |||||||
| 5 | E | T/Sgt. Eldon F. Richter washed ashore Heemskerk | 13 | |||||||
| 6 | RO | T/Sgt. Salvador J. DiCosmo MIA | 14 | |||||||
| 7 | Gunner | S/Sgt. Elbert O. Price POW | 15 | |||||||
| 8 | Gunner | S/Sgt. Joe H. Brown POW | 16 | |||||||
Was damaged by Flak on route back to England. Four men parachuted out and landed on shore at Hook of Holland (POW). The aircraft flew on and ditched in the North Sea off the Dutch coast south of The Hague. 6 KIA of which 4 washed ashore 10 days later. 2 MIA. * Washing ashore at Zandvoort meant burial in Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery. Quillen was buried there with name and nr. |
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Below map shows B-17F 42-5392 'Stric Nine' crash position and wash ashore position of 4 of the crew 10 days later.
The 2 men MIA (2Lt. John R. Homan and Sgt. Salvador J. DiCosmo) can be in the wreck or lost at sea, but we believe they also washed ashore on the same coastline as the other crew, or a bit further north on the Frisian Isles or Frisian coast. In total 20 cemetery where Allied airmen were buried were located north of the crash position. Identification was not possible and they were buried locally as unknown Allied airmen. After the war all unknown military were exhumed. Based on uniform they were recognized as American airmen and transferred to the US Identification Centre in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium. When ID failed they were reburied there as 'Known but to God' with washing ashore date on the cross (and rank when found). The washing ashore date of Homan and DiCosmo must lay between August 20 1943 and May 31 1944. The cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz is today named "American (war) Cemetery "Ardennes" in Neupré.
Burial card of pilot 2Lt. Lauren H. Quillen, Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery 1st Sept. 1943. Buried as 'English militair'.
Sources/Read more:
- https://sites.google.com/site/wo2vpr1/home/1943-08-19-b17f
- https://airforce.togetherweserved.com/usaf/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=183163
- http://www.303rdbg.com/427quillen.html
- ABMC
- http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/8138
- http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/061.pdf
- 2012 research of the original WW2 Amsterdam Cemetery burial files.
© ZZairwar (Zuyder Zee Air War)