Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						2/Lt. Melburn O. Simmons was the co-pilot Of B-24 42-95180 ‘Satan’s Little Sister’. Shortly before bombing the target, oil refineries near Hamburg, the aircraft was hit by flak in the left wing. With a big hole in the wing and two feathered engines the B-24 crippled back to home base Bungay. Near Texel it became clear that it wouldn’t be possible to cross the Norh Sea anymore. The bomber then turned south to try to reach the Allied lines via the IJsselmeer. But even that was not possible anymore. Near Huizen the B-24 ran out of fuel. The pilot, 1/Lt. John H. Quinn (E0898), ordered the crew to bail out just over the coast near Huizen. Quinn left the bomber as the ultimate. Due to the southwestern wind, seven of the nine crewmembers drifted back to the IJsselmeer and landed in the ice cold waters. Despite their mae wests, they sank in their thick flying suits and drowned. Fishing boats that sailed out from Spakenburg to rescue them, arrived on the scene too late. Only Simmons and Quinn landed on the shoreside. Simmons hit the ground close to the dike near the harbour of Spakenburg. Soon after he contacted Mr. Van der Weijden, a school teacher who took the American on the luggage carrier of his bicycle and handed him over to restance workers. He first hid, together with Quinn, in Bunschoten. After a few days resitance worker Herman Leraar and some of his colleagues escorted Simmons and Quinn to Eemnes where they handed them over to Wim and Wout Staal. Simmons found on 27 November 1944 a hiding place in the house of Mrs. T. van Krimpen (Tante Truus) at Schapendrift 8 in Blaricum. Quinn went to Eemnes. Both men were liberated by Allied troops on 7 May 1945. Two days later both Americans left via Hilversum the area. 

Melburn Odell Simmons passed away on 17 May 2011 in Fort Collins, CO, at the age of 92.