Perhaps you’ve heard whispers of a B-17 bomber crashing in the Spaarndammer neighborhood. This is the story of the crash site American B17 War Memorial in Amsterdam.
Flying back from a bombing mission in Germany, a Boeing B-17-G Flying Fortress met its fate. It was struck by German anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the Spaarndammer neighborhood.
The ill-fated bomber nicknamed “Lucky Lady” belonged to the 728th Bomber Squadron. On January 20 1945 the Lucky Lady was returning to England after bombing Germany. Unexpectedly, the bomber ran into heavy German flak and enemy aircraft. The Lucky Lady sustained severe damage. Two engines failed. A hydraulic leak sprung. At least one bomb remained stuck in the bomb bay.
Pilot Edward Stull ordered five crew members to jump near Bremen. He and co-pilot Samuel Showalter pressed on. Near Schellingswoude, the plane was attacked again. Both pilots then bailed out. The plane crashed onto a school in Westzaanstraat. It also landed partly in front of the rectory of the Catholic church in Spaarndammerstraat.
Nine crew members were aboard. Only pilot Cecil Belton survived. He was thrown from the plane during the explosion. The remaining crew perished. They were either inside the Lucky Lady or unable to deploy their parachutes.
Locals from Midwoud and Oostwoud quickly reached the crash site of the Lucky Lady. As the fire subsided, they collected the remains of the crew. Belton was found in a nearby field.
Belton was sheltered by the Dutch Resistance. The remains of the eight crew members were secretly buried in the churchyard.
Fast forward, and the villages still honor the legacy of the Lucky Lady. A war memorial stands in Midwoud. The crash site American B17 War Memorial remains a place of honor.
In 2023, the 728th AS visited the crash site. They paid respects to their fallen comrades. They met relatives of the Dutch Resistance. They also met the surviving crewmember’s family and received a piece of the Lucky Lady. The tail wheel had been used as a wheelbarrow wheel.
The 728th AS put the tail wheel on display. It memorializes the crew’s sacrifice. It ensures their story is told for generations.
Anne Frank even wrote about the events in her diary. The crash site American B17 War Memorial stands as a reminder of the war’s impact on Amsterdam. It’s a place to reflect on the sacrifices made for freedom.