B-17 crash in Schlappintal Klosters Graubünden Switzerland

Here is the Story of tail Gunner Donald Boyle

Tail Gunner Donald B. Boyle describes the further course of the Mission: We lost altitude the whole time, and then our two “little friends”, the accompanying Figthers, turned off over the Alps. Soon we were lower than the mountain peaks and fighting our way through squalls of snow. Kerr circled our Bomber delicately around the mountains. During the flight, our “552” always sagged on the right because only the two left engines were working. It was thanks to Kerr's flying skills that we got this far. Then at about two o'clock our third engine started spitting oil and visibility was zero. Now get out of the box! Rifleman Ahlfors, radio Operator Ernst J. Hegedus, ball Turret Gunner Samuel P. Younger and I grabbed the parachutes and jumped - directly into the hands of the Germans! In fact, the four of them ended up in the snow just a few Kilometers from the border. Younger and Ahlfors sustained injuries. A little later, a border guard picked up the unfortunate Crew, who spent the rest of the war in the Stalag IV Prison camp near Stettin in Pomerania. In the meantime all hell broke loose on Board, engine number 3 quit service and Kerr could only hold his Bomber with great effort. Flight Mechanic Leon Finneran and Co-Pilot Arthur H. Lindskoog were the next to eject, while the Navigator and bombardier helped the Pilot clear a path through the milky soup.

Already over the Rescue Switzerland, the Crew met a terrible fate. Just a few seconds after Finneran and Lindskoog left the Bomber, the Fortress crashed into a mountain in the Schlappin Valley and Exploded. There was no escape for the Pilot and the two helpers, the Navigator Edward A. Schilling and the bombardier Melvin L. Levine, but Lindskoog was not expected to survive the Day either. His Parachute did not open. The Body was recovered during cleanup operations on July 20 about 700 Meters from the wreckage of the plane. One Day after the Crash, Finneran was picked up by Swiss Soldiers near the border and led down to the Valley. The unfortunate Crew found their final resting place in the Münsingen Internee Cemetery near Bern.

The Original-Crash-photos can be seen here:https://www.flieger-hanspeter.ch/B_17-Absturz-Schlappintal.htm

Kit: Revell 1:72

I partially spray-painted the registrations and the number Decals were taken from the Krappel box

10 additional images. Click to enlarge.