Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						2/Lt. Lee Arnold Lewis Sr. was the bombardier of B-17 42-39771 'Jeannie Marie'. The bomber was hit by Flak just before arriving over the target, Frankfurt. She returned at low level in the direction of England but didn't make it. The pilot was forced to belly-land the B-17 in a field near Zeelst. After the crash-landing Lewis took off with the bombardier, 2/Lt. John Whitney (E0282). Hardly anything is known about the first months of their evasion. Probably Johannes Roosjen at B. Boermanstraat 46 in Roermond and Ed H. van Wegberg, at Dorp 81 in Heythuizen played a role in hiding the two. They eventually ended up in Maastricht where they joined four other evaders:  F/O. L.F. Bickley (E0221), F/O. J.H. Jackson (E0222), 2/Lt. L.V. Hokinson (E0280) and Sgt. A.F. Gunnell (E0241). On (probably) 7 April 1944 (other sources speak of 10 April) they crossed the Dutch-Belgian border with the help of the Belgian resistance worker Hubert Beunckens and Anna Timmermans (other sources state that Whitney crossed the border at Molenbeersel with the help of Hubert Beunckens). On Belgian soil they were handed over to members of a resistance group in Lanaken. 

Escorted by Rudolf van Reemst and Charles or Joseph Bastiaens the six were brought on 9 April to the house of Joseph Martens at Membruggen. He planned to guide them to Hasselt, but in Althoeselt rijkswachters (state policemen) from the Tongeren district halted the group. The six dispersed but managed to rejoin each other later that day. Martens was arrested but liberated a few days later. The six airmen ended up in the ruins of an old castle, Aldenbiezen Castle, Here the six hid themselves in a well. They would be picked up at a later moment by Martens. The six airmen waited for several days but the guide didn't reappear. Postman Henri Vandenbosch from Hoeselt eventually found them and took the six to a small old farm in the Molenbroek at the Buckenslindestraat in Hoeselt. Here lived the Family Fons Somers-Wagemans. The hid during daytime in a wood nearby. At night they were allowed to come inside to sleep. Vandenboch and Albert Bijloos brought them daily bacon, eggs, bread and even alcoholic drinks. They stayed here for about a month. Then two brothers of the Family Bijloos escorted them to Hoeselt and transported them on the open back of a coal truck to Rocourt near Liege. Gunnell and Hokinson and hid from 22 May until 4 June in the house of a certain Stoffels in Liege. They were joined here from 17 May by Sgt. J.B. Remington (E0419) and Lewis. Not much else is known, except that Whitney must have been liberated somewhere in the Bulge by American troops on, probably, 8 September 1944.

Lee Arnold Lewis Sr. passed away on 4 Jan 1991 at the age of 69. He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, USA.