Memorial

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Sgt William M. Hinton volunteered for the U.S. Army at Fort Hays, Columbus, Ohio on 12 November 1942.

Sgt Hinton was flying as a replacement for the first time with this crew.

On the way to the target, the airplane was hit over Belgium by flak around 10.30, knocking out two engines and setting the right engine on fire.

Co-pilot Raymond Nutting stated that the crew was constantly looking at the incoming fighters and didn't pay attention to the flak. Suddenly there was a big explosion that destroyed the left aileron and made a big hole in the wing, but the engines kept on turning. We dropped to the right and the pilot gave the order to bail out. The pilot tried to level the plane but is was soon burning from front to rear. Eight crew members bailed out without any problems. Tailgunner Musante also bailed out but his parachute got caught on the stabilo. Soon the plane exploded, what sealed his fate. Sgt Hinton didn't have the chance to bail out.

Both killed crew members were initially buried in Genk on 20 August 1943.

Four crew members could escape imprisonment with the help of the Belgian resistance and got back at their base, Thorpe Abbots, in January 1944. One crew member, bombardier Kennet Lorch was taken prisoner in Bordeaux, France in April 1944. Three other were taken prisoner immediately after they landed.

The story of this B-17 is portrayed in the series Masters of the air. On 26 January 2025, a monument was unveiled at the intersection of Beverststraat and Slingenweg in memory of this crash and in honor of the crew members. Actor Sawyer Spielberg, who played one of the crew members in the series, was present at the inauguration.