Bomber Command Memorial Register

Sheffield "Mi Amigo" Memorial

Sheffield, Endcliffe Park (Mi Amigo Memorial), South Yorkshire

Complete Record
Confirmed location?

Location

Sheffield, Endcliffe Park (Mi Amigo Memorial), South Yorkshire, South Yorkshire

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Narrative

On 22 February 1944, the B-17 Flying Fortress "Mi Amigo" was returning from a bombing mission over Aalborg, Denmark, having been severely damaged by Luftwaffe fighters en route. With engines failing and the aircraft barely controllable, First Lieutenant Kriegshauser nursed the crippled bomber across the North Sea and over the English coast. By the time the B-17 reached Sheffield, at around 5pm, it was clear the aircraft could not reach any airfield. Kriegshauser prepared for a crash landing and began his final approach towards open ground. Then he saw them: a large group of children playing in Endcliffe Park below. Without hesitation, Kriegshauser aborted the landing, hauling the dying aircraft over the park and into the trees beyond. All ten crew members were killed in the resulting crash. The children were saved. Their sacrifice -- choosing certain death over the risk of killing children -- has made the Mi Amigo one of the most emotionally powerful war memorial stories in Britain.

Aircraft & Operation Details

Aircraft Type
B-17 Flying Fortress 42-31322 "Mi Amigo"
Squadron
364th Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomb Group
Station
Chelveston (USAAF)
Date of Loss
1944-02-22
Operation Type
Operational
Target
Returning from bombing mission over Aalborg, Denmark
Cause of Loss
Heavily damaged by enemy fighters over Denmark; engines failing; pilot aborted landing approach to avoid children playing in park

Crew (10 members)

RankNameRoleAgeNationalityFateBurial / Status
1st LtJohn Glennon KriegshauserPilot23AmericanKilled
Cambridge American Cemetery, Madingley (initially); later repatriated to USA
2nd LtLyle J. CurtisCo-Pilot—AmericanKilled
—
2nd LtJohn W. HumphreyNavigator—AmericanKilled
—
2nd LtMelchor HernandezBombardier—AmericanKilled
—
T/SgtGeorge M. WilliamsWaist Gunner—AmericanKilled
—
S/SgtHarry W. EstabrooksFlight Engineer/Top Turret—AmericanKilled
—
S/SgtRobert E. MayfieldRadio Operator—AmericanKilled
—
SgtCharles H. TuttleBall Turret Gunner—AmericanKilled
—
SgtVito R. AmbrosioWaist Gunner—AmericanKilled
—
SgtMaurice D. RobbinsTail Gunner—AmericanKilled
—

About the Crew

1st Lt John Glennon Kriegshauser(age 23)Pilot

From Missouri, USA

From Missouri, aged 23. Demonstrated extraordinary heroism in his final moments, choosing certain death to save the children of Sheffield.

2nd Lt Lyle J. CurtisCo-Pilot

From Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA

From Idaho Falls, Idaho.

2nd Lt John W. HumphreyNavigator

From Wyoming, Illinois, USA

From Wyoming, Illinois.

2nd Lt Melchor HernandezBombardier

From Los Angeles, California, USA

From Los Angeles, California.

T/Sgt George M. WilliamsWaist Gunner

From Faxon, Oklahoma, USA

From Faxon, Oklahoma.

S/Sgt Harry W. EstabrooksFlight Engineer/Top Turret

From Mound Valley, Kansas, USA

From Mound Valley, Kansas.

S/Sgt Robert E. MayfieldRadio Operator

From Raymond, Illinois, USA

From Raymond, Illinois.

Sgt Charles H. TuttleBall Turret Gunner

From Raceland, Kentucky, USA

From Raceland, Kentucky.

Sgt Vito R. AmbrosioWaist Gunner

From Brooklyn, New York, USA

From Brooklyn, New York.

Sgt Maurice D. RobbinsTail Gunner

From Manor, Texas, USA

From Manor, Texas.

Memorial Details

Type
Grove of 10 scarlet oak trees; pair of memorial plaques on large boulder
Dedication Date
30/11/1969

Memorial Care

parish council
Organisation
Sheffield City Council

Mi Amigo memorial in Endcliffe Park, maintained by Sheffield City Council. Annual flyover ceremony.

Local Contacts

These local organisations are connected to this memorial and may be able to help with information or visits.

Sheffield Royal British Legionbritish legion

Local remembrance and memorial support

Sheffield City Councilparish council

Local authority responsible for memorial upkeep

Further Reading

WikipediaRetrieved 2026-03-23

Wikipedia article on the Mi Amigo memorial at Endcliffe Park, Sheffield. Documents the full history from the 1944 crash through to Tony Foulds' decades-long maintenance of the memorial and the viral 2019 BBC story that led to a joint USAF/RAF flypast.

Tony Foulds maintained memorial for decades after witnessing crash as a child2019 flypast organised after BBC story went viralOne of Britain's most well-known WWII crash memorials

American Air Museum in BritainRetrieved 2026-03-23

American Air Museum archive entry for B-17G 42-31322 'Mi Amigo' of the 305th Bomb Group. Provides aircraft service history and loss details with crew records.

Aircraft archive with full service historyCrew personnel records linked

Imperial War MuseumsRetrieved 2026-03-23

IWM War Memorials Register entry for the B-17 'Mi Amigo' 42-31322 memorial of the 305th Bomb Group USAAF.

IWM memorial reference 27509Registered as 305th Bomb Group memorial

TracesOfWar.comRetrieved 2026-03-23

International memorial database entry for the Mi Amigo crash memorial.

Listed in international TracesOfWar database

aircrashsites.co.ukRetrieved 2026-03-23

Detailed crash site page with narrative of the Mi Amigo's final flight. Bombardier 2nd Lt Hernandez was unable to release bombs due to cloud obscuring the target over Aalborg, and the bombs were jettisoned over the North Sea as the B-17 limped home.

Bombs jettisoned over North SeaTarget obscured by cloudAircraft pursued by enemy fighters

Key AeroRetrieved 2026-03-23

Coverage of the USAF flypast over Sheffield marking the 80th anniversary of the B-17 crash in 2024.

80th anniversary USAF flypast in 2024Ongoing annual commemorations

Sources

Credits & Acknowledgements

Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Heritage sources
Wikipedia (retrieved 2026-03-23)
American Air Museum in Britain (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Imperial War Museums (retrieved 2026-03-23)
TracesOfWar.com (retrieved 2026-03-23)
aircrashsites.co.uk (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Key Aero (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Last updated 2026-03-23

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