Einer Petersen
Military ROLL OF HONOURphoto by Ivar Kandell, Sweden
Einer Petersen served as pilot and co-pilot with 8th AF, 351st BG, 509th BS out of Polebrook, England. 25 missions. His original crew finished their tours before Petersen. At the day of his death October 7th 1944 he was assigned as pilot to aircraft B-17 #42-31192 (YB-R) with a new crew on their 2nd mission.
After being hit by flak over Politz in Germany, they turned north for Sweden with only one engine working. Running out of fuel they were forced to land. As a pilot he tried to avoid potato pickers in the intended landing area and crashed in the woods nearby, losing his life.
He and the co-pilot never got out of the plane. Rest of the crew got thrown out when the plane broke in half against a rock and caught fire. Two crew members survived. MACR 9566.
He was first buried in Östra kyrkogården (Eastern Cemetery) in Malmö, Sweden. After the war he was re-buried his hometown Culbertson in Montana.
Connections
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Units served with
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 351st Bomb Group 509th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-770873
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
Places
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
Culbertson, MT 59218, USA | ||
Other Killed in Action (KIA) |
Farabolsvägen 699-26, 290 60 Kyrkhult, Sverige | 7 October 1944 | Killed during force landing at Farabol, Sweden. |
Buried |
Culbertson, MT 59218, USA | Re-buried after war. |
Revisions
Brought in information from duplicate record. Sources:
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9566
Ivar Kandell's sources:
351st Bomb Group Association
Edited hometown to Culbertson (Culbertman was noted, no such place). Buried Culbertson according to cemetery records and relatives.
Edited name from "Peterson" to the correct "Petersen". Edited text biography.
Edited text biography, and connected to another entry for the same person.
Files of 351 st Bomb Group Association (Ken Harbour, group historian); Radio operator Larry Jensen; Relatives to Einer Peterson Montana; cemetery records; research done by Ivar Kandell.
MACR 9366. Memorial at site Farabol, Sweden. And other sources.
MACR 9366 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database