Florida B-17 WWII crash returning to site in Belgium

Sixty years after their B-17 plane went down in Belgium, the radio
operator/gunner on that plane will join two of his crewmates in ceremonies near
the site of the March 4, 1944 crash.

AL STERN Satellite Beach FL
========================
World War II veteran to revisit site of crash.
Belgium teens invite survivors to ceremony.
BY R. NORMAN MOODY FLORIDA TODAY

ROCKLEDGE -- Teenagers Francois-Xavier and Matthieu Bienfait grew up hearing
about a "ghost airplane" that fell near their hometown of Mons, Belgium, 60
years ago.

When assigned a school project to present some local historical facts, the boys
went to their father, Jean-Noel Bienfait, for details. He retold the story of a
crewless airplane crashing into the countryside during World War II.

The plane, an American B-17 bomber, crashed after its crew bailed out during a
World War II bombing mission. One of the crew died in the parachute jump, six
others were captured. But three were spirited out of the area to safety by
resistance fighters.

With the help of the Internet, the boys tracked down several surviving members
of the crew, including Thomas Yankus of Rockledge FL.

This weekend, Yankus, the radio operator and a gunner on the plane, will join
two of his crewmates in ceremonies near the site of the March 4, 1944, crash.

"This is kind of a memorial for everybody that didn't make it back, a lot of
our buddies," 80-year-old Yankus said. "I never imagined that 60 years later,
I'd be going back."

The Americans will visit the gravesite and the people who helped them avoid
capture.

Townspeople and students are eagerly preparing for the visit.

"Since I'm a young boy, I have been listening so many times to my father when
he was telling the story of this heavy bomber that flew over his uncle's farm
before crashing in a meadow during a World War II late afternoon," 44-year-old
Jean Noel Bienfait said.

The mission was one of the first daytime raids of Berlin. It was the B-17
crew's third bombing mission. The target, an airplane parts factory, had been
hit and the plane had started on its way back to England. Suddenly hit by
anti-aircraft fire, the nose cone was knocked off, the bomb-bay doors wouldn't
close and holes were punched through the plane.

"It forced us to leave the formation," Yankus said. "We couldn't keep up."

Low on fuel, the crew of the doomed aircraft began throwing out everything that
wasn't essential to lighten the load as they headed for Spain instead.

"We knew we couldn't make it back to base," Yankus said. "You know you're going
to survive."

They jumped in the chaos of the moment and pulled the ripcords of the chutes,
not knowing exactly what to expect.

"It's a sudden stillness and the mothball smell of the parachute," Yankus said.


Although the 10 crew members had been instructed on how to use parachutes, none
had actually done so. John Wesp, the waist gunner, was killed when his chute
didn't open, Yankus said.

Yankus suffered back and leg injuries in the jump.

The plane continued flying after everyone bailed out, until it ran out of fuel.
It ripped the roof off a house without injuring anyone inside and crashed in a
meadow near Mons.

Jean-Noel Bienfait said his father, Michel Bienfeit, was among the first to
enter the crashed plane. He salvaged some navigational equipment and logbook
and turned the items over to the Belgian resistance.

Afterwards, the older Bienfait was forced along with other town's people to
break the plane into pieces, which were later carted off by the Germans.

Yankus found help from the French. They remained hidden for months until
liberated after D-Day on June 6.

Yankus, his wife, Vivian and the others, the plane's co-pilot David Wolter and
his wife, Jolly, and bombardier Don Egan and his wife, Audrey, are traveling to
Belgium and France for the reunion. The men were part of the 335th Squadron,
95th Bomber Group of the 8th Air Force.

"We try to thank them for helping us and they say, 'No, thank you' for
liberating us," Yankus said.

Jean-Noel Bienfait said that in addition to the planned activities with the
American veterans, there will be some surprise honors.

"Their sacrifice was not forgotten," he said.

Pictures at:
http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryN0529MEMBELGIUM.htm