US Airmen Honored Eight Decades After Fatal Crash

Relatives of American airmen who participated in World War Two have honored their family members eight decades following the crash of their plane, which resulted in the deaths of two crew members. The incident occurred on 16 December 1944, when a B17 “Flying Fortress” Bomber went down in the Cheviot hills of Northumberland. While Sergeant Frank Turner and Flight Officer Fred Holcombe perished in the accident, the remaining seven airmen astonishingly survived. Fragments of the downed bomber are still discoverable on the Cheviots, an area frequently visited by hikers interested in wartime history. Carol Kyle-Sage, daughter of pilot George A Kyle, has made numerous journeys to these hills, expressing her desire for her father’s narrative to be preserved. She stated: “My father suffered serious injuries, a broken jaw, and at one point after descending from the crash local farmers thought they were Germans.” Following the incident, Mr Kyle underwent a three-month recovery period at Newcastle General Hospital, and the experience remained with him until his passing in September 2005. He recounted: “Dad said he should have died that day and asked if me if I would scatter his ashes at the crash site and that’s what we did.” Throughout World War Two, a total of 19 allied aircraft either crashed or were shot down over the Cheviots, resulting in the fatalities of 56 airmen. J Hardy, whose father Flight Officer James H Hardy was aboard the B17, commented: “We want to to tell the story for younger generations and we have regular meet ups in the States.” A lasting monument was erected at the base of the Cheviots in 2018. For updates, follow BBC North East on X and Facebook, and BBC Cumbria on X and Facebook, with both also available on Nextdoor and Instagram. Story suggestions can be sent to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.