1944 Zegveld Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Crash

The 1944 Zegveld Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress crash was a crash of the American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber ''San Antonio Rose'' near the village of Zegveld, Netherlands, on 21 February 1944, during World War II. The aircraft was returning from a bombing mission over Braunschweig, Germany, when it was attacked by German fighters and crashed in a field. Eight crew members died, and two survived as prisoners of war.

In Zegveld a memorial is placed near the crash location. In 2020 an exhibition about the crash has been held. Historian Jeroen van der Kamp spent seven years researching the incident and wrote a book about it and gave lectures about it.

Background

The B-17 ''San Antonio Rose'' was operated by the United States Army Air Forces and departed from Horham Airfield in England on the morning of 21 February 1944. The ten-man crew had trained together in Rapid City, South Dakota, and previously completed five successful missions over France and Germany.

Attack and crash

On 21 February 1944 their target was an aircraft factory in Braunschweig, Germany. After encountering flak en route, one of the aircraft's engines was damaged. Despite this, the pilot, Morris Marks, and the crew continued and successfully dropped their bombs. Separated from the rest of the formation, the bomber became an easy target. Over the Netherlands, with no cloud cover remaining, the B-17 was attacked and heavily damaged by German fighter aircraft. The aircraft crashed in a field near the Hazekade in Zegveld, close to the Molenweg.

Victims

Eight crew members were killed in the crash. Two of them, Amberg and Hines, are buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten. The others were either repatriated post-war or buried at other locations.

Only two crew members; Charles Barnthson and Barclay Glover, managed to parachute to safety. They landed near Zegveld and were assisted by local farmer Cornelis Bol and village doctor Roskott. The four were arrested by German forces shortly afterward. Barnthson and Glover were taken as prisoners of war. Bol and Roskott were imprisoned for several months in Camp Amersfoort for aiding the Americans.

Commemoration

A monument commemorating the eight crew members who died was unveiled on 8 October 2015 along the Hazekade in Zegveld. The memorial lists the names of all ten crew members and serves as a local site of remembrance.

In February 2020, a public exhibition was held at De Milandhof in Zegveld. The exhibition featured aircraft parts, photos, and original documents from the flight and crash. Julie Moore, the niece of one of the fallen crew members, attended the 2020 memorial in Zegveld. Her visit was described as deeply emotional and a powerful moment of transatlantic remembrance.

Historian Jeroen van der Kamp spent seven years researching the incident and wrote the book ''Ik verwacht tegen juni terug te zijn'' (translated: "I Expect to Be Back by June") about it. It was presented during the 2020 exhibition. In September 2021, invited by the ''Stichts-Hollandse Historical Society'', Van der Kamp also gave a lecture about the crash in Woerden.

Reference

Further reading

* Jeroen van der Kamp (2020), ''Ik verwacht tegen juni terug te zijn: De crash van een Amerikaanse bommenwerper in Zegveld (1944)'', ISBN 978-94-93102-58-3.

{{coord missing, Netherlands

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1944
Aviation accidents and incidents in the Netherlands
History of Utrecht (province)
Military history of the Netherlands during World War II
Military history of the United States during World War II
Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
February 1944 in Europe
1944 in the Netherlands
Woerden
Aviation in World War II
World War II strategic bombing conducted by the United States
World War II strategic bombing of Germany