Hi,

We're looking for info on the unfortunate pilot Jack A Peck flying the B17G to its fatal crash at Schaffen Belgium killing all aboard exept two, Bill Anderson and T.Franklin.

Jack A Peck born 1923 IOWA Marshalltown, as indicated on a document further on.

We've had a lot of help from Jacq Peck at ptjack@charter.net who's not a relative it appears, although the same name, he did research in the US for finding the missing link, but until now without any succes.

We've all the info on the mission they were on that fatal 13 Sep 1944, some photographs of the crew, but still missing one on the pilot, Jack was only recently upgraded as PIC we think that's why he's not on the crew photograph.

Overhead the target, they were hit by FLAK, had to descend to 10.000 feet due to missing enginepower and of oxygen failure becoming an easy target for more grounbased artillery, Jack managed to turn direction homebase which was Poddington in the UK, but only one engine was performing normal, the systems went out also, they decided to crashland somewhere, bailing-out was out of question. because some crew was injured, one was already passed away, so leaving the ship without everyone having the possibility of a safe escape was no option.

Two friendly fighters brought them in the already liberated part of Belgium to a small grass airfield called Schaffen, that field  much to small for such a big ship, Jack positionned the A/C in a more or less normal approach attitude and in the correct landing direction indicated by a lowpass of the two fighters, the B17 came in at too much speed without flaps,  bounced once or twice and overran the field crashing in a nearby wood, with the sad result mentioned above.

It took several years to find answer to the many questions of how's and why's, all the credit goes to my friend Bart for the several letters he wrote to the family's of the two survivors and other researchgroups and newspapers, he's the one owing the metaldetector with which he found many debris.

So if any person might help us in getting a photogaph of Jack, we would like to know of. Thanks for reading this document, next you'll find some of the more than 100 documents and photograph's involved. (click "next" after reading the first document, for better reading click the doc.)

Greetz.

Maurice.