B-17 42-29710 'Hell Below' Monument
Details:
In the memorial garden, next to the town war memorial. This monument overlooks D376.
A stone monument bearing a white rectangular plaque that contains a commemoration message for the crew of the plane written in French in black and printed lettering. Printed images on the top of the plaque are the insignias of the 8th Air Force, 94th Bomb Group, and 410th Bomber Squadron.
On return from the May 29, 1943 mission to naval storage depots in Rennes, France, “Hell Below” was attacked by 7 German Fw190 fighters, then hit by the light flak battery of Montagne Saint-Joseph (Saint-Malo). It crashed 3km West of Saint-Méloir-des-Ondes, to the east of Saint-Malo, France. All members bailed out over the French coast at 16:15 at 15,000ft. They landed in the English Channel and were picked up by Germans except for 2Lt Petruzzi. It is believed he drowned. Most of the men landed in the Ille et Rance canal, south of Saint-Malo, others on land in the vicinity. Lt Petruzzi’s body was found in the wreckage of the crashed Fortress. On May 30, 1943, the nine prisoners were in the Kommandantur at the Dinard air base, opposite Saint-Malo. Badly wounded, Tail Gunner Ferentinos was cared for in a hospital in Saint-Malo but died the next day from loss of blood.
Source of information: www.aerosteles.net, www.americanairmuseum.com
Source of photos: www.aerosteles.net
Monument Text:
A la mémoire de l'équipage du B-17
« HELL BELOW »
8th AIR FORCE 94th BG 410th BS
tombé le 29 mai 1943
Au lieu-dit « les Douves »
en Saint Méloir des ondes
Prisonniers
1st Lt. Jack B. Workman
2nd Lt. William H. Downey
2nd Lt. Olivier Carroll
S/Sgt Donald S. Webster
Sgt Edgar L. Stevenson
Sgt Franck R. Koch
Sgt Ernest G. Muir
Sgt Winston F. Lowe
Morts au combat
2nd Lt. William A. Petruzzi † 29/05/1943
Repose à New Lexington Cemetery, OHIO
S/Sgt Théodore G. Ferentinos † 30/05/1943
Repose au Brittany American Cemetery, France
English translation:
In memory of the B-17 crew
"HELL BELOW "
8th AIR FORCE 94th BG 410th BS
fallen on May 29, 1943
At the place called " les Douves
in Saint Méloir des ondes
Prisoners
1st Lt. Jack B. Workman
2nd Lt. William H. Downey
2nd Lt. Olivier Carroll
S/Sgt Donald S. Webster
Sgt Edgar L. Stevenson
Sgt Franck R. Koch
Sgt Ernest G. Muir
Sgt Winston F. Lowe
Killed in Action
2nd Lt. William A. Petruzzi † 29/05/1943
Rests in New Lexington Cemetery, OHIO
S/Sgt Théodore G. Ferentinos † 30/05/1943
Resting in Brittany American Cemetery, France
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
41st Bomber Squadron, 94th Bomb Group
94th Bomber Group, Heavy
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII
Other images :
