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Author: bosma48
Surnames: Rogers
Classification: queries
Message Board URL:
http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.nevada.counties....
Message Board Post:
My name is René Bosma en I live in the little Dutch town of Oosterwolde. Since 4 years I
have been investigating the Air war over the Northern part of the Netherlands. It is my
main objective to gather as much information as possible about the aircraft and the airmen
which came down over the province of Friesland during the Second World War. We consider it
very important to keep the memory of the Air war alive, especially the many flyers paid
with their lives for our Freedom.
One of the aircraft I research is a American B-17 heavy Bomber of 96 Bomb Group/337 Bomb
Squadron. The B-17 (serial: 42-3265 Nickname "Holy Mackerel") crashed on the
16th of December 1943 near a little Dutch Town called Kimswerd in the North of The
Netherlands. The B-17's came back from a bombing mission on the harbour installations
in the German city of Bremen. But when they flown above the North side of the Dutch
Mainland the group of Bombers where attacked by German Fighter. The Holy Mackerel was hit
by another B-17 of 96 bomb group 42-30860. This B-17 was hit by fire of a German Fighter
en go down into the Waddensea. The Holy Mackerel was hit but tried to make a emergency
landing on the Dutch mainland. But when he was looking for a good spot he also were
attacked by German fighter. The plane get badly hit en short 6 man jumped out with the
parachute. 2 of the 6 man survived the jump en were captured by the Germans. 2 others, who
jumped out over the waddensea, drowned. Th!
ey are still missing in action till today. The other 6 crewmembers lost their live. Some
of the brave man are still buried at the American war cemetery at Margarten, The
Netherlands. Others are reburied in the U.S.A. The 42-30860 crashed into the Waddensea.
all 10 brave man lost their lives. 5 of them are still missing in action. The 5 others
washed ashore in the Netherlands en buried at Margraten en also later in the U.S.A. It was
a big loss to the 96 bomb group. 18 man lost their life for our freedom.
The Bombardier of the 42-3265 "Holy Mackerel" crew was 2nd Lt. Lowell Rogers. He
was born on the 14th of December 1923 at Los Angeles en passed away on the 30st of July
2008 at Las Vegas. He is buried at Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Boulder
City, Clark County, Nevada. His parents were George F. Rogers (1889) & Maude Lowell
Rogers (1895). Lowell has a brother jean en a sister Elinore. brothers or sisters is also
not known to me. In 1940 his parents where divorced. Lowell en jean lived by his mother at
San Gabriel, Los Angeles County, California
Lowell was one of the lucky ones. he could save his self with his parachute. But was
captured by the Germans en brought to a POW camp.
At the moment I research this crash en I was hoping that there is someone could en will
help me with some additional information about Lowell:
. his military career
. his family
. his life before he sight in for service
. his repatriation
I also hope that someone knows some ancestors or relatives of Lowell en will help me to
get in contact with them.
My goal with the information I try to collect is to make a as precise as possible
reconstruction about the crew en their mission on that day. So the story of the brave man
who gave their live for our freedom never will be forgotten.
Thank you in advance en hope someone could en will help me.
Kind regards
René Bosma, Oosterwolde, The Netherlands
My emailaddress:rene_bosma21@hotmail.com or frisianheroes(a)yahoo.com
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