Rongstad Crew Gets a Memorial

Official Army crash photos taken after the crash.

Crash site, Green Farm, Redlingfield, Suffolk. Many artifacts from this aircraft have been recovered from the site. (Photo by Rob Morris, June 2008)

Old barn across the lane from Green Farm. (Photo by Rob Morris, June 2008)

The farmhouse built on the spot of the detroyed original Green Farm. (Photo by Rob Morris)

Green Farm Accident Report, 95th Bomb Group Archives.

Crash report.

Lt. Rongstad's obituary in the Daily Interlake, Kalispell, Montana.

Green Farm burns after the B-17 crashed next to it.

B-17 tire.

Memorial (Photo by Richard Flagg)

Photo by Richard Flagg.

Three 95th vets pay homage to the downed crew. (Photo by Richard Flagg)

Photo by Richard Flagg.

Photo by Richard Flagg.

Veterans and family members and friends at the Dedication Ceremony. (Photo by Richard Flagg)

Earl Jostwick at the memorial. (Richard Flagg photo)

The Rongstad crew perished in a fiery crash after taking off from Horham on November 19, 1943. The pilot, fellow Montanan Kenneth Rongstad of Kalispell, banked his B-17 sharply after takeoff, the aircraft stalled, and it plunged to the ground, narrowly missing the Green Farm farmhouse, setting the farm house and another across the lane on fire. The men who possibly survived the initial crash were killed when the ordnance went off.

The photos of the memorial ceremony were taken by a friend of mine, professional photographer Richard Flagg, at Open Day yesterday, May 15, at Horham, Suffolk, England.

Green Farm Accident Report, November 19, 1943

This goes with the post immediately preceding it. Read that one first.

Horham Then and Now, Part I

Up at four to work on the book. Downloaded some photos sent by James Mutton, the stalwart 95th Museum leader in Horham, and preparing to write. I'll be throwing in some photos of Horham then and now as time permits. Here are just a few that were handy.

MPs at guard box in Horham.
Today, a phone booth is near the spot of the box. Note wall behind box.A B-17 crashed at Green Farm, near the end of the main runway, setting the house on fire and killing all those on the plane.
The house was rebuilt. This is the new Green Farm. The bomb-laden B-17 crashed into the trees behind the house. Wreckage in the woods behind Green Farm.
The same spot today.