Safe at Last
Albin Larsson, of the Home Guard, armed with the rifle and bayonet, neared the area of the smoking plane and called out to the crew of ten in his foreign tongue, "Are you wounded? Are there any bombs?"...
02
Aug
29
Jul
Home Guard
The man walking toward the plane was Albin Larsson, workshop owner and member of the Home Guard. From what I have read, the Home Guard was comprised of local armed volunteers, likely former soldiers, who were "on guard" to protect the island. ...
17
Jul
On the Ground
Captain Charles W. "Smithy" Smith, with assistance from co-pilot Merle P. Brown, skillfully guided the crippled B-17 for about 2500 feet before it came to rest. The crew members, all ten of them, were stunned but unhurt. It was 4:55 in the afternoon....
28
Jun
Mastermyr Landing
There is a place on the island known as "Mastermyr." It is a bog west of Hemse where significant medieval artifacts have been found. This is the spot where the Liberty Lady pilot Charles W. Smith and the copilot Merle P. Brown chose to bring...
17
Jun
Mission 12d – March 6, 1944
Our wilting B-17 Liberty Lady is flying over the island of Gotland, a Swedish province. Remember that the crew had no idea where they were and suspected that they were still flying over enemy territory. As waist gunner Don Courson remembers, when they came...
01
Jun
B-17 over Hemse
Lasse Svensson, a little boy who lived in the tiny village of Hemse on the island of Gotland, heard the noise of a plane flying low. Because his Dad owned a photoshop in Hemse, there was always a camera nearby, and it was always loaded...
29
May
Mission 12c – March 6, 1944
In an effort to hide from the furious enemy fighter planes, our wounded Liberty Lady slipped into a cover of clouds....
28
May
Ghost Soldiers
Ghost Soldiers: The Epic Account of World War II's Greatest Rescue Mission. About the raid by allied forces on the POW camp at Cabanatuan in the Philippines. ...
26
May
Mission 12b – March 6, 1944
The pilot knew they could never make it back to England. It was impossible for the wounded fortress to stay in the formation, and as a straggler, it would be an easy target for enemy fighters. In order to hide, Smithy quickly flew the Liberty...
21
May
Roswell Remembers
My hometown of Roswell, Georgia hosts the largest Memorial Day Celebration in the state. A joint effort between the City of Roswell and the Roswell Rotary Club....