Flying Fortress Memorial

On the way to the Crestelles viewpoint, a memorial to the Allied air force at the site where a flying fortress crashed on 13 April 1944. Pursued by German aircraft over Schweinfurt on 13 April 1944, an American B17 had to turn back. At the end of its run, it dropped its occupants as soon as it reached the Belgian border and, left to its own devices, ‘crashed’ in a fireworks display on the side of the Crestelles hill. The dislocated body of Sergeant James H. Young was pulled from the charred wreckage of the aircraft and taken away by the occupying forces. At the end of the war, the inhabitants of the village of Bérismenil adopted this aviator by including him on the war memorial among the many civilian victims of the locality. In 1984, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary, a commemorative monument was erected a short distance away. Every year since then, the American NATO contingent based in Geilenkirchen has made a habit of coming here in May to celebrate its Memorial Day.

Rates may vary.

Free of charge.

Hours may vary.

Accessible all the time.