(Researched by Tony Lynch)

On the 10th May 1945, a group of B-17G Flying Fortresses from 379th Bomb Group USAAF, took off from their base at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire. It is believed that this was an observation flight to give ground crews the opportunity to view the damage inflicted upon Germany.

On route the B17’s were flying in close formation at 1,200ft approaching Braintree & Bocking and without

warning 44-8198 encountered severe turbulence caused by leading aircraft and a collision occurred with

B-17G 44-8813. This aircraft, although damaged, was able to return to its base with no injuries to
crew. The tail of 44-8198 was severed from the main fuselage and was witnessed to “flutter to the ground” with a crew member still inside. It landed in a field at the end of Woolpack Lane, Braintree. The fuselage fell in a spiral dive, and disintegrated on impact. It landed on a market garden near to a Franciscan convent, off Bradford Street,Bocking, half- a-mile from the tail wreckage.

In the summer of 2013 I began my research following a small newspaper cutting I was given, dated May 11th 1945 with the heading “Fortress Down at Bocking” It soon became evident that there were no records of this crash in Essex and possibly in England. As a result, a long search for information lay ahead of me and if it was not for the internet and a small number of people both here and in America, I doubt I would have finished my research. With information being made available to me in the form of the official accident report and eyewitnesses on the ground, I was able to make good progress. It became very evident that the people of Braintree were not aware that 11 men had died so close to their town, so a decision was made to track down the 11 families and set about designing and erecting a memorial board close to the main crash site.

Over 2 years I was able to find all but 1 family, the Nussbaum family. This proved to be the toughest challenge yet and I had to call on help from Jack Messina, family member of 2nd Lt Paul Messina, Chris Stanfield an experienced researcher from Colchester and others across America and the UK.

We contacted every TV, radio, newspaper and Jewish establishment in New York until eventually we struck gold. The final family member was found in October 2014 and then in earnest work began to plan and erect a memorial for the 70th anniversary in May 2015.

On May 10th 2015, a memorial service was held alongside a newly erected memorial board sited close to the main crash site.

The service was opened with a flypast of 2 Hurricanes and a Spitfire from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

In attendance were…

2 families of the crew who had flown over from the US

Witnesses to the crash

USAF 100th AFW Mildenhall Guard of honour

Braintree RAF Cadets

Royal Observer Corps Association

Braintree Royal British Legion

RAF Association Witham

Church of England (Bocking)

Catholic Church (Braintree)

Jewish representation

USAF Chaplin (Lakenheath)

Colne Valley Pipers

Bocking Concert Brass

Essex Police

Chief Constable of Essex Police

Chairman of Braintree District Council

Bocking Councillors (Labour & Conservative)

8th Air Force Historical Society UK

Kimbolton School (379th BG UK representative & museum)

American Air Museum, Duxford

American Cemetery Cambridge (Maddingley)

Ridgewell Airfield Commemorative Association Museum (USAAF 381st BG)

Kimbolton Marshals (379th BG Museum)

Chris Chandler (379th BG researcher)

Mr Brian Francis (379th BG associate)

Flixton Museum

Braintree District Museum

A2 Jive Dance Group

Hannah Iris Willingale (singer)

Braintree Town Hall

Braintee College

Bocking & Blackwater Friends Group

Residents of Rivermead and Bocking

Friends and Family of Tony Lynch

Colchester Film Club

Tesco Braintree

Compare Mr Dennis Buston

Thank you to all the above mentioned and to the researchers, historians and media both in the UK and the US as well as all the 11 families who were so kind in helping me with my research.

Thank you also to the Braintree & Witham Times and Essex Chronicle for covering and reporting on the day.

Thank you to my wife for supporting me.

Tony Lynch.

Crew of 44-8198 of the 526th Bombardment Squadron

1st Lt. Tom G (Pop) Piers (Pilot)

2nd Lt. William F Powell ( Co-Pilot)

2nd Lt. Paul A Massina (Navigator)

Cpl. George H Miller (Passenger)

1st Lt. Irving Nussbaum (Passenger)

M/Sgt. Wagner F Crane (Passenger)

T/Sgt. Jerrome A Grears (Passneger)

S/Sgt. Merrill J Blanck (Passenger)

S/Sgt. Leslie G Lusk (Passenger)

S/Sgt. Robert J Brookman (Passenger)

Tech. Cpl. Walker W Wallace.

All 11 men were killed just 2 days after VE Day 1945.

Never Forget…

Crew of 44-8198 379th BG