B-17G Flying Fortress 43-38944 assigned to the 1st Base Air Depot at Burtonwood, on delivery to the 398th Bombardment Group, crashed in the evening of the 2nd January 1945 on Birchenough Hill near the Congleton to Buxton road

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

 

Donald James De Cleene 1st Lieutenant Pilot Killed
Maynard Stravinski 2nd Lieutenant Co-pilot Killed
Thomas Manos Flight Officer Navigator Killed
Howard F. Ayers Technical Sergeant Radio Operator Killed
Frank E. Garry Technical Sergeant Engineer Killed

 

1st Lt De Cleene and the crew flying with him were all from the 398th and had flown over to Burtonwood to collect a new replacement aircraft for one which had either been lost or withdrawn from service. They were flying the new aircraft back to their home airfield at Nuthampstead near Royston in Hertfordshire, and had taken off at just about 19:00. The weather was fairly good with about 2 miles visibility and broken cloud at 3,000 feet, however it was dark and there was no snow lying on the ground. At approximately 19:25 the aircraft was heard by local farmers flying very low. Shortly after it flew into the western edge of the Birchenough Hill close to a small quarry and broke up across the hill and burned out.

Memorial at the crash site of Boeing B-17G 43-38944 on Birchenough Hill, Wildboarclough, Cheshire
This photograph shows the memorial placed where the aircraft crashed, it was taken on the 3rd January 2003.
Memorial at the crash site of Boeing B-17G 43-38944 on Birchenough Hill, Wildboarclough, Cheshire
Above is the memorial, photographed in December 2000.
Aircraft wreckage at the crash site of Boeing B-17G 43-38944 on Birchenough Hill, Wildboarclough, Cheshire
Not far from the memorial is where the aircraft burned out following the crash, this scar contains many small fragments left by the fire.

 

Three of the crew were buried at the US Military Cemetery near Cambridge.

Grave of 1st Lieutenant Donald James Decleene at Cambridge American Military Cemetery

Grave of 2nd Lieutenant Maynard Stravinsky at Cambridge American Military Cemetery

Grave of Flight Officer Thomas Manos at Cambridge American Military Cemetery