An amazing discovery by the BAHAAT team - Summer 2002

Members of the Belgian Aviation History Association Archaeology Team (BAHAAT) recovered the tailplane of a B-17 Flying Fortress. This aircraft of the 96th Bomb Group, made a forced landing at the Flemish village of Galmaarden on February 6, 1945, returning with flak damage from a mission over Germany. Lt Ernest Haygeman and his crew remained unharmed and returned to Snetterton Heath to continue their operations. All survived the war, and contacts have been made since the tail was recovered last June 30th.

The B-17 '3858 remained in the fields for several months, until local scrap dealers took it home. However, the tail plane remained near one of the surrounding houses and the owners decided to create a chicken coup out of it. During our investigations on the whereabouts of this plane, local historian Michel Matthijs informed us about its existence and it was easy to convince the current owner, Mr. Freddy Van Paepeghem, to have it recovered by BAHAAT for conservation. The Bomb Group code (Square C), serial and hull code 'Z' is clearly visible.

This unique relic of the 8th Air Force's presence in European Skies was part of a BAHAAT-display in the Brussels Air Museum on the B-17 Flying Fortress during the weekend of 14/15 September 2002.

Since that date, the tail has found a permanent place in the BAHA Collection Erembodegem.