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14 March 1945
The plaque to the memory of Sgt Kenneth Kingsland. It reads : TO THE MEMORY OF KENNETH KINGSLAND Here on 14 March 1945, on return from a mission to Germany, the "BELLE RINGER", a B-24 Liberator bomber from the 854th Squadron of the 491st Bomber Group, made a forced landing. Its left wing hit the isolated house with the orange roof you can notice behind you. The aircraft ended its course in the field facing this chapel. Sergent Kenneth Kingsland, from Connecticut and aged 27, lost his life. He is buried at the Ardennes American Cemetery in Neuville-en-Condroz. * Ayez une pensée pour Kenneth qui est mort pour notre liberté * Have a thought for Kenneth who died for our freedom. (The captions of the photos in the left-hand column) : The débris of the plane facing the chapel (in the background on the photo). An engine from the left wing in front of the small isolated house at the edge of the Chaussée de Dinant (chapel in the background) (The captions of the photos in the right-hand column) : Sergent Kenneth Kingsland (engineer). He had three sisters and he was married. On the left, the insignia of the 8th Air Force to which the aircraft belonged. To the right, that of the 491st Bombardment Group. "Belle Ringer" was the name given to the plane by its crew. (At bottom) The crew of the "Belle Ringer" (photo montage) [ NOTE : this is a composite photo, where the faces of two new members of the Heichel crew in the May 1945 photo have been replaced by those of Kenneth Kingsland and Navigator Seymour Eisenstat ] Standing from left to right : Sergent Anthony Turco, Radio; Lieutenant Seymour Eisenstat, Navigator; Lieutenant Thomas Alexander, Co-Pilot; Lieutenant Robert Heichel, Pilot; Sergent Philip Trimmer, Gunner. Kneeling, from left to right : Sergent Glen Lebleu, Gunner; Sergent Rheudolph Cain, Gunner; Sergent Lacy Gilliam, Gunner; Sergent Kenneth Kingsland, Engineer/Gunner. (At the bottom of the plaque, in blue, a short text in English summarizing the events and Sgt Kingsland's fate)
The Robert E. Heichel crew - England 28 April 1945. Back row, from left to right : Radio Operator Anthony P. Turco; the unidentified Navigator who replaced Seymour Eisenstat, severely wounded in the 14 March 1945 crash of B-24 # 42-51195; Co-Pilot Thomas J. Alexander; Pilot Robert E. Heichel, Gunner Philip E. Trimmer Jr. Front row : Gunner Glen C. LeBleu; Gunner Rheudolph W. Cain; Gunner Lacy C. Gilliam and an unidentified man who replaced Engineer Kenneth S. Kingsland, who was killed in the crash of 42-51195 on 14 March 1945. (Photo courtesy of the Anthony Turco family)
Robert Heichel as an Aviation Cadet ( photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
Crash of B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 near Florée, Belgium - 14 March 1945. Three members of the Robert Heichel crew who were not wounded in the crash. Top : Sgt Lacy C. Gilliam; bottom left : S/Sgt Rheudolph W. Cain; bottom right : Sgt Glen C. LeBleu. (Photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
Crash of B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 near Florée, Belgium - 14 March 1945 - Débris of the crashed Liberator. The ambulance is ready to drive the wounded to a nearby hospital. The chapel in the background is where a plaque will be placed on 12 March 2016 in memory of the incident where Engineer Kenneth Kingsland lost his life. (Photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
Crash of B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 near Florée, Belgium - 14 March 1945 (photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
Crash of B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 near Florée, Belgium - 14 March 1945 (photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
Crash of B-24 "Belle Ringer" # 42-51195 near Florée, Belgium - 14 March 1945. Showing the farm hit by the Liberator's left wing as it banked to crash-land in the field (photo courtesy of the Heichel family - http://www.inexpensiveflighttraining.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=8801344 )
"Belle Ringer" - B-24 Serial # 42-51195
Mission 886: 1,262 bombers and 804 fighters are dispatched to hit oil, rail and industrial targets in Germany; they claim 17-0-1 Luftwaffe aircraft in the air; 3 B-17s and 2 fighters are lost: 1. 526 B-17s are sent to hit oil refineries at Nienhagen (58) and Misburg (56), the Gebruder munitions plant (75) and Maschnbau (61) and Eisenwerke (74) factories at Hannover and the Seelze marshalling yard (80); secondary targets hit are Osnabruck (29) and the marshalling yard at Hannover; attacks were made visually and with H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost, 1 damaged beyond repair and 188 damaged; 3 airmen are KIA, 6 WIA and 19 MIA. 192 of 204 P-51s escort; 2 are damaged. 2. 449 B-17s are dispatched to hit the bridges at Vlotho (72) and Bad Ostenhausen (114), the marshalling yard and road junction at Lohne (144) and industrial plants at Hildesheim (60); 39 hit Osnabruck, a secondary target; targets of opportunity are the marshalling yards at Hameln (12) and Wetzlar (1) and Diemonde (1); all but one target is bombed visually; 1 B-17 is lost and 56 damaged; 1 airman is WIA and 9 MIA. Escorting are 182 of 194 P-51s; they claim 1-0-1 aircraft. 3. 272 B-24s are sent to hit the marshalling yards at Holzwickede (31) and Gutersloh (126); 110 others hit the secondary target, the marshalling yard at Giessen; attacks are made visually and with H2X radar; 4 B-24s are damaged; 1 airman is KIA and 5 WIA. The escort is 185 P-47s and P-51s; they claim 3-0-0 aircraft; 1 P-47 is lost (pilot MIA). 4. 6 B-17s fly a screening mission without loss. 5. 29 of 33 P-41s escort Ninth AF bombers. 6. 50 P-51s fly a sweep of the Stein-Huder-Kassel area claiming 11-0-0 aircraft without loss. 7. 82 P-51s fly a sweep over the Remagen bridgehead; 1 P-51 is lost (pilot MIA) and 1 damaged beyond repair. 8. 20 P-51s escort 33 F-5s and 3 Spitfires on photo reconnaissance missions over Germany and Czechoslovakia. 9. 26 of 27 P-51s fly a scouting mission claiming 1-0-0 aircraft.
"1,250 Heavies Strike Tanks, Gun Factories Near Hanover"
"The 8th Air Force swung back into the attack yesterday after a one-day lull, when 1,250 Fortresses and Liberators shook naval, industrial and communication targets from the Dutch coast south to Giessen, 45 miles east of the Remagen bridgehead"
"The bulk of the 8th's bombing was done in the hanover area. Two tank plants and a factory making half-tracks and self-propelled guns were hit in the city itself and at Hildesheim, less than 20 miles south of the city, a large castings plant was rocked."
"Other target in the area were oil refineries at Misburg and Nienhagen; marshalling yards at Seeize, and rail bridges across the Weser River at Vlotho and Bad Oyenhausen."
"Some of the Mustags of the 650 escorting fighters ran into a group of 20 Luftwaffe planes apparently headed to attack the heavies, but cut them off before they could reach the bomber formations. Several were shot down, but the exact score was not revealed last night".
-Unknown Newspaper Articles, The day after event(s)
SCOUTING MISSION
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BRIDGE
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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MUNITIONS PLANT
B-17 Flying Fortress
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Group
The 447th Bomb Group flew B-17 Flying Fortresses on strategic bombardment missions out of Rattlesden, Suffolk. With their first mission coming on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1943, their main focus was hitting sites that would weaken enemy forces...
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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A mix of 185 P-47s and P-51s provide escort. Mix not given in available data.
MARSHALLING YARDS
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OIL REFINERY
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OIL REFINERY
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BOMB TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY
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INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
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FIGHTER SWEEP
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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FIGHTER SWEEP
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BRIDGE
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MARSHALLING YARDS
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Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 491st Bomb Group
Thomas Alexander’s older brother, Marston Alexander Jr, born in 1917, died in October 1929. Thomas enlisted in the Air Corps and was trained as a pilot. Sent overseas, he was assigned to the 491st Bomb Group / 854th Bomb Squadron in England. He was on...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 92nd Bomb Group Fame's Favoured Few
Assigned to 325BS, 92BG, 8AF USAAF. Hit by flak and landed in Sweden on 18-Mar-45 in B-17 Flag Ship 42-97288 Interned (INT). MACR 13150
Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.
Military | First Lieutenant | Bombardier | 95th Bomb Group
Military | Lieutenant | Navigator | 95th Bomb Group
John Barnes was born January 31, 1922 in Philadelphia, PA, the son of Leonard and Gertrude Barnes of Emporium, PA . He received his undergraduate and Ph.D from Penn State University. He served in WWII as the navigator of the “Spirit of Martinez with...
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator, Commanding Officer | 384th Bomb Group
Bob Birney was assigned to the 547th Bomb Squadron on 5 February 1945 and completed 26 missions between 19 February 1945 and 20 April 1945.
Military | Flight Officer | Bombardier | 447th Bomb Group
June 1, 1922: Edward Aloysius Blattner (Nickname: "Buddy") was born in Chicago Illinois
...
Military | Captain | pilot | 96th Bomb Group
Assigned Jan 1945
Military | Second Lieutenant | Pilot | 447th Bomb Group
Damaged 34th BG aircraft (#43-38971) mid-air collision with Ol' Scrapiron (#42-31582). Ol' Scrapiron broke apart at the waist on 23 Mar 1945. Seven crewmen of Ol' Scrapiron killed in Action (KIA) including Bruckman. Two survived (Schlag and Shibble).
Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 447th Bomb Group
John McKale Burk was born 30 November 1924 in Ventnor, Atlantic County, NJ to Frederick Grater Burk (20 April 1891 Philadelphia, PA -19 June 1948 Philadelphia, PA) and Mary Cunningham McKale Burk (21 February 1895 Philadelphia, PA - 20 October 1990...
Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-Pilot | 95th Bomb Group
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 13/2/44; Rapid City 4/3/44; Gr Island 19/4/44; Dow Fd 21/4/44; Assigned 398BG Nuthampstead 24/4/44; no ops, transferred 325BS/92BG [NV-U] Podington 7/5/44; Missing in Action Berlin 18/3/45 with Harry Culver, Cornell Christensen, Bill...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 24/12/43; Dalhart 16/1/44; Kearney 22/2/44; Assigned 457BG Glatton 2/3/44; transferred 711BS/447BG [IR-C] Rattlesden 3/3/44; mid-air collision with 44-83279 (447BG) with Bob Chowning 22/3/44, force landed 20 miles NW base; Salvaged...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 20/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 334BS/95BG [BG-B] Horham 13/10/44; 67m, Returned to the USA Bradley 26/6/45; 4168 Base Unit, South Plains, Texas 28/6/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 29...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 6/11/44; Grenier 14/11/44; Assigned 401BS/91BG [LL-C] Bassingbourn 9/1/45; (flew two POW trips) ; 26m Returned to the USA Bradley 12/7/45; 4185 BU Independence 13/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA)...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 18/9/44; Grenier 11/10/44; Assigned 561BS/388BG Knettishall 12/10/44; Returned to the USA Bradley 28/6/45; Sth Plains 1/7/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Kingman 17/12/45. SUPERMOUSE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Hunter 27/11/44; Grenier 16/12/44; Assigned 335BS/95BG [OE-E] Horham 1/1/45; battle damaged Chemnitz 6/2/45 with D.V. Tregoning, force landed B-53, Merville, Bel. then rep; 53m, Returned to the USA Bradley 21/6/45; Sth Plains 23/6/45;...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Dallas 11/7/44; Langley 8/8/44; Dow Fd 12/9/44; Assigned 332BS/94BG [XM-Z] Rougham 14/9/44; transferred 335BS/95BG [OE-J] Horham 11/44; with L.W. Jensen, Radio Operator: Paul Rupard, Waist gunner: - Olson [2wia] 24/2/45; 53m, RetUS,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 12/10/44; Hunter 5/11/44; Grenier 3/12/44; Assigned 562BS/388BG Knettishall 16/12/44; RetUS, Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold for scrap metal in USA) Walnut Ridge 8/1/46. JUST JOYCE.
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Lincoln 31/10/44; Grenier 15/12/44; Dow Fd 15/12/44; Assigned 336BS/95BG [ET-X] Horham 17/12/44;with Bill Dunwoody force landed B-53 Merville Afd, Bel. 19/3/45; battle damaged Holzwickede 23/3/45 with Bill Dunwoody, Co-pilot: M. Burrows,...
B-17 Flying Fortress
Delivered Cheyenne 30/11/44; Hunter 20/12/44; Grenier 6/1/45; Assigned 350BS/100BG [LN-J] Thorpe Abbotts 8/1/45; transferred as PFF 336BS/95BG [ET-F] Horham 23/1/45; 13m, Returned to the USA Morrison 20/10/45; Reconstruction Finance Corporation (sold...
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2018 00:54:04 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to description and media associations |
| Sources | ||
owner of original source material used and added |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 18 September 2018 00:11:24 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to media associations |
| Sources | ||
https://95thbg.mmsw.eu/crew/59 owner of source material used |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 17 September 2018 05:43:17 | spiritofmartinez45 | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2018 01:46:54 | jhuck | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 292-293 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 06 September 2018 01:46:27 | jhuck | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields; pp. 292-293 |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 September 2018 01:02:04 | jhuck | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields, pp. 292-293. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 05 September 2018 01:00:32 | jhuck | Changes to person associations and aircraft associations |
| Sources | ||
John G. Huck, nephew of Edward Blattner Source: History of the 447th Bomb Group by Doyle Shields, pp. 292-293. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 04:03:27 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Official 385th Bombardment Group website Databae-Missions |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 02 July 2017 04:00:27 | Virginiawise50 | Changes to person associations |
| Sources | ||
Official 385th Bombardment Group website Database-Missions |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 November 2014 16:19:18 | Lucy May | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Changed location from 'MISBERG' to 'Misburg, Germany'. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 14 November 2014 16:17:09 | Lucy May | Changes to event |
| Sources | ||
Changed location from 'DIEMONDE' to 'Germany' because the only Diemonde Google recognized was in Louisiana. |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:43:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'. |
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