Mi Amego
Feb 22, 2019 04:12:55 #
Thousands of people gathered to witness a fly-past honouring 10 airmen who died when their plane crashed in a Sheffield park 75 years ago.
The US bomber - a B-17 Flying Fortress known as Mi Amigo - came down in Endcliffe Park on 22 February 1944, killing everyone on board.
A campaign for a fly-past started after a chance meeting between BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker and Tony Foulds.
Mr Foulds, 82, witnessed the crash and regularly tends to the park's memorial.
The fly-past, involving military aircraft from Britain and the United States, reached the park at about 08:45 GMT.
Crews set off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk in the missing man formation.
The pensioner said he and the other children were in the park 75 years ago because boys from two rival junior schools were fighting.
Mr Foulds said of the airmen: "If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be here with my family.
"It's more than bravery, what they did. They saved me, and I mean saved me.
"These are now part of my family, my ashes are going to be put by the memorial. I might as well stay with them, you know."
Dan Walker a BBC newsman met Mr Foulds while he was walking his dog in the park, described him as an "amazing man" after hearing his story in early January.
Mr.Foulds saw the plane circling and saw the pilot waving he took it for a friendly wave and waved back but after the plane crashed realised that the pilot wanted them to move from the park so he could land. They didn't chance it and the plane crashed killing the crew. Mr.Foulds has been tending the memorial ever since. All those years he was looking after the memorial he felt guilty that it was his fault the crash happened.
The names of the brave crew below.
Pilot Lt John Kriegshauser, pilot from Missouri
2nd Lt Lyle Curtis, co-pilot from Idaho
2nd Lt John Humphrey, navigator from Illinois
Melchor Hernandez, bombardier from California
Harry Estabrooks, engineer and gunner from Kansas
Charles Tuttle, gunner from Kentucky
Robert Mayfield, radio operator from Illinois
Vito Ambrosio, gunner from New York
Malcolm Williams, gunner from Oklahoma
Maurice Robbins, gunner from Texas
They are not forgotten
The US bomber - a B-17 Flying Fortress known as Mi Amigo - came down in Endcliffe Park on 22 February 1944, killing everyone on board.
A campaign for a fly-past started after a chance meeting between BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker and Tony Foulds.
Mr Foulds, 82, witnessed the crash and regularly tends to the park's memorial.
The fly-past, involving military aircraft from Britain and the United States, reached the park at about 08:45 GMT.
Crews set off from RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk in the missing man formation.
The pensioner said he and the other children were in the park 75 years ago because boys from two rival junior schools were fighting.
Mr Foulds said of the airmen: "If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't be here with my family.
"It's more than bravery, what they did. They saved me, and I mean saved me.
"These are now part of my family, my ashes are going to be put by the memorial. I might as well stay with them, you know."
Dan Walker a BBC newsman met Mr Foulds while he was walking his dog in the park, described him as an "amazing man" after hearing his story in early January.
Mr.Foulds saw the plane circling and saw the pilot waving he took it for a friendly wave and waved back but after the plane crashed realised that the pilot wanted them to move from the park so he could land. They didn't chance it and the plane crashed killing the crew. Mr.Foulds has been tending the memorial ever since. All those years he was looking after the memorial he felt guilty that it was his fault the crash happened.
The names of the brave crew below.
Pilot Lt John Kriegshauser, pilot from Missouri
2nd Lt Lyle Curtis, co-pilot from Idaho
2nd Lt John Humphrey, navigator from Illinois
Melchor Hernandez, bombardier from California
Harry Estabrooks, engineer and gunner from Kansas
Charles Tuttle, gunner from Kentucky
Robert Mayfield, radio operator from Illinois
Vito Ambrosio, gunner from New York
Malcolm Williams, gunner from Oklahoma
Maurice Robbins, gunner from Texas
They are not forgotten
Feb 22, 2019 05:56:25 #
Can't be more fitting to have a combined flyby in celebrating the heroics of the pilot and his crew 75 years ago. Mr. Foulds has been keeping the park in thanks to those who gave their lives to help save him and other kids who were in the park. Mahalo for sharing.
Feb 22, 2019 14:06:11 #
I saw the story on tv about Mr. Foulds and the Sheffield crash a couple of years ago. I would only hope that OUR Congress would recognize these men with a resolution for giving their lives to save these boys. It's a terrible yet wonderful story of sacrifice.
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