RAF MILDENHALL NEWS
100th ARW Flies US Flag on D-Day for B-17 ‘Mi Amigo’ Memorial
A memorial to the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft in Sheffield, England, was vandalized in March 2021 and again in July. In an effort to help restore it, the 100th Air Refueling Wing at Royal Air Force Mildenhall sent a U.S. flag to be flown at the memorial in their honor.
By Karen Abeyasekere, 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs // www.mildenhall.af.mil
T
ony Foulds, now 85, was 10 when he came close to losing his life during World War II, but the skill and dedication of a B-17 Flying Fortress crew saved him and his friends. On Feb. 22, 1944, “Mi Amigo” and its crew were returning from a mission near Aalborg, Denmark. The aircraft suffered severe damage from Luftwaffe fighters and lost engine power over Sheffield. The pilot, U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. John G. Kriegshauser, looked for somewhere to land his plane and spotted the large open space of Endcliffe Park to make an emergency landing. As the plane dropped rapidly, the crew realized that children were playing soccer where they had planned to land. With just moments to spare, Kriegshauser and his crew decided to steer the aircraft to a wooded area past the park. All 10 crew members lost their lives. Foulds was one of the children playing in the park that day, and he knows his life was saved thanks to the Mi Amigo crew. He has since dedicated his life to preserving a memorial built
6
| AUGUST 2021
in their honor and ensuring the Mi Amigo crew are remembered. BELOW: Tony Foulds poses for a photo by a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft during a visit to Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, March 15, 2019.
When the memorial was vandalized, items including U.S. flags were destroyed. With help and hard work from Tony’s friends, family and other volunteers, the memorial was restored, and the flag given by RAF Mildenhall contributes to honoring the Mi Amigo crew.
