Reedham (mid-air collision) 42-31370 Memorial

Local remembrance and memorial support

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

American Air Museum archive entry for the Reedham War Memorial, documenting the mid-air collision of two B-17G Flying Fortresses from the 549th and 550th Bomb Squadrons of the 385th Bomb Group on 21 February 1944.

549th and 550th Bomb Squadrons involvedBoth crews of ten killedPart of 900-plane mission returning from Germany

US War Memorials registry entry for the B-17 42-37963 and 42-31370 memorial at Reedham. Documents the memorial stone listing all fallen crew members from the collision.

Memorial stone lists all 21 crew namesUS War Memorials reference MemID 2638

Local newspaper coverage of remembrance events at the Reedham War Memorial. The aircraft were returning from a raid on Diepholz in North West Germany and collided in cloud just minutes from landing at Great Ashfield.

Returning from Diepholz raidCollision occurred in cloudAircraft minutes from landingLt Warren J. Pease was pilot of 42-37963

Time Team Series 6, Episode 8 documented the archaeological excavation of B-17 42-37963 crash site at Reedham Marshes in 1999. The television excavation brought national attention to the crash site.

Time Team excavated crash site in 1999Series 6 Episode 8Brought national attention to the memorial

Personnel record for Lieutenant Warren Jay Pease, pilot of B-17G 42-37963 who apparently lost control in cloud and collided with another Fortress in the formation over Reedham Marshes.

Capt John H. Hutchison in B-17 42-31370 was on his 25th and final mission