Memorial

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S/Sgt Helmke enlisted in 1942 and had been stationed in England since 1 October 1943.

Eyewitness reports from returning crewmen of other planes (Lt Ambrose, Lt Kamenitsa and Lt Wienheimer) stated that the Ellinger ship received a direct hit from AA guns at 15:58 hours on route back from the target and the flak had struck the aircraft just behind the wing section with the plane starting down and disintegrating before striking the ground and no chutes were seen. The reported downing would place this aircraft roughly over Belgium territory. No other accounts of any type were available. Sgt Hasenfratz later recalled that after flak hit his aircraft, the front section exploded into flames and the tail section spun out of control toward the ground. He and two other crewmembers were in the tail section as it plunged 18,000 feet to the ground. Sgt Hasenfratz was the only survivor.
After the war the Army conducted extensive investigations in the area were this plane crashed. Local residents told them that the B-24 crashed in flames near the communities of Arbres, Maffles, and Meslin-Eveque, Belgium at about 16:00 hours, after the anti-aircraft battery at Chievres had fired at it.

The bottom picture shows Sgt Helmke receiving one of Air Medals.