Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an outstanding artifact which was mounted onto a board for display during the period. This B-17 Flying Fortress bomb switch was recovered off of the B-17G 42-3544 “Stars and Stripes” which crashed shortly after takeoff from Great Ashfield at Brook Farm in Badwell Ash on January 5th, 1944. The plane crashed on farmland to the northwest of the Badwell Ash, off Langham Road near Brook Farm.

It is probable that the pilot, Flying Officer William H Morris was aware that there was a problem with the aircraft and was trying to get back to Great Ashfield Airdrome. As a result of the crash, one bomb exploded and together with the impact of the crash, all the crew, bar one, was killed and debris from the plane was scattered over a large area. The plane was carrying 16 M31 300lb bombs.

There were nine men on the ”Stars and Stripes” that day. The official crash report said that “due to the sudden illness of one crew member just prior to take off, only nine men were aboard the aircraft at the time of the crash”. The nine members of the crew were:

Pilot – Flying Officer William H Morris
Co-Pilot – 2nd Lt. Dennis J. Ziebarth
Navigator – 2nd Lt. Richard S Proctor
Bombardier – 2nd Lt Robert M Totaro
Top Turret Gunner T/Sgt Russell A Stevens
Radio Operator/Gunner – Sgt. Chester A Rober, Jr
Ball Turret Gunner – S/Sgt Walter A Stuebgen
Waist Gunner – Sgt. Stanley Lowitz
Tail Gunner – S/Sgt Burnell W Hamilton
 
Only S/Sgt Burnell W Hamilton, the Tail Gunner, survived.

This bomb switch is mounted to a wooden board measuring 11 ¼ x 7 ¾” and has an attached note reading:

B17 USAAF FORTRESS
BOMB SWITCH FROM B-17, 42-3544 WHICH CRASHED
JUST AFTER TAKEN OFF ON JANUARY 5TH, 1944.
THE BOMBER NAMED “STARS AND STRIPES OF THE
385TH B.G. CAME DOWN ON BROOK HOUSE FARM,
BALDWELL ASH. STATION WAS GREAT ASHFIELD.

An outstanding and macabre artifact, ready for further research and display.

Totally inert, cannot be converted to an explosive device, not available for export. This item is completely legal within the USA. International Military Antiques, Inc observes all Federal, State and Local laws. Everything for sale on ima-usa.com is completely legal to own, trade, transport and sell within the United States of America.

All deactivated ordnance sold by IMA, Inc is engineered to be inoperable according to guidelines provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATF).