Crash Site Boeing B-17G-65-VE 44-8444 'Treble Four'

This carved stone monument commemorates the crash of B-17G 44-8444 on the 24 December 1944, with Brigadier General Frederick Castle (MoH) as co-pilot. The aircraft was nicknamed the "Treble Four" because of its serial number 44-8444.
At the top is the emblem of the 487th Bomber Group, and at the bottom is a plaque with the inscription: "Tribute to the American pilots shot down over Fraiture – 24-12-1944."
The aircraft belonged to the 8th Air Force/4th Bomber Wing/487th Bomber Group/836th Bomb Squadron and was part of Mission 760, the largest air mission of World War II, involving more than 2,000 heavy bombers. The mission was to bomb German airfields and supply lines to stop the German Ardennes Offensive. The Treble Four was the leader of the mission, leading the entire 8th Air Force.

Pilot 1st Lieutenant R. Harriman and co-pilot Brigadier General Frederick Castle were killed by impact. The eight crew members were able to parachute out of the aircraft, but only five survived their jump.

Brigadier General Frederick Castle was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for controlling the aircraft and enabling the crew to escape.

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Source

• Text: Francky De Rous
• Photos: Francky de Rous