Donald S. Courson
On October 15th, I was honored to spend a couple of hours in Ashleigh, Mississippi, with Don Courson, the Liberty Lady's right waist gunner. ...
08
Nov
17
Sep
Merle
On September 5th, it was my privilege to interview Merle P. Brown, co-pilot of the Liberty Lady, at his home in Lakeville, Minnesota ...
27
Aug
From Gotland
In custody of the local military unit, the ten airmen, miraculously safe and sound, were taken by truck to the folk high school in nearby Hemse. After two nights, the crew left for the Swedish mainland....
02
Aug
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?"...
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....