B-17G-10-BO Flying Fortress 42-31322 'Mi Amigo'.

Part of the 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bombardment Group, the “Mi Amigo” was stationed at RAF Chelveston, Northampton.

Returning from a mission on the 22nd of February 1944, with the aircraft severely damaged, most of the crew injured and miles off course, the crew of “Mi Amigo” were desperately searching for an accessible area to land.

Unknowingly finding themselves over Sheffield, they spot a large, grassed area that they believe is big enough to land the stricken bomber. On its final approach, firing off red flares to indicate injured on-board, the pilot realises that the area, Endcliffe Park, has a large group of children in it, playing football.

Pilot, 1st Lieutenant John Kriegshauser, makes the heroic decision to abort the landing at the last second and pulls up, narrowly missing the cafe that stands on the edge of the park. The “Mi Amigo” crashes into the woods behind.

All ten crew are killed on impact.

Lt. John Kriegshauser, pilot from Missouri.
2nd Lt. Lyle Curtis, co-pilot from Idaho.
2nd Lt. John Humphrey, navigator from Illinois.
2nd Lt. Melchor Hernandez, bombardier from California.
S. Sgt. Harry Estabrooks, flight engineer, and top turret gunner from Kansas.
Sgt. Charles Tuttle, ball turret gunner from Kentucky.
S. Sgt. Robert Mayfield, radio operator from Illinois.
Sgt. Vito Ambrosio, right waist gunner from New York.
Sgt. George Williams, left waist gunner from Oklahoma.
Sgt. Maurice Robbins, rear gunner from Texas.

The “Mi Amigo” was in the news at the beginning of 2019, after BBC’s Dan Walker featured the story on BBC Breakfast.

Whilst walking his dog in the park, Dan came across a man tending the memorial to the crew. Interested in what the man, Tony Foulds, was doing, Dan struck up a conversation from which this amazing and heroic story became known.
It transpired that Tony, aged eight at the time, was in the park the day of the crash and witnessed the events unfold. Tony remembers that he could see the pilot waving and thinking he was just waving at the children, waved back. He later realised that the pilot was trying to get the children out of the way. Tony has had regrets ever since the day of the crash and when the local Royal Air Force Association built a memorial to the crew of the “Mi Amigo” he has lovingly tended it almost every day since.

Every year, to remember the ten men of “Mi Amigo”, the local Royal Air Force Association hold a memorial service at the park to recognise their sacrifice. 2019 was the 75th anniversary of the crash and a special BBC broadcast was aired live from the park where aircraft from the US Air Force and RAF performed a fly past.

Inspired by this lovely story I built this model to not only remember the ten crew of the “Mi Amigo”, who sacrificed themselves to save lives on the ground, but to remember the sacrifice of all those who fought in the skies during WW2.

Many thanks to Colin Allonby of “Courage Above the Clouds”: The heroes of Endcliffe Park B-17 'Mi-Amigo' for his valuable information on the aircraft’s paint scheme and decals, as there are no known pictures of the aircraft in existence.

Shortly after posting pictures of the completed model on line, which so many of my Facebook page followers watched me build, I received a Commission from a Wayne Foulds to build a “Mi Amigo” for his dad’s birthday on the 2nd of April.
His Dad is Tony Foulds. The very same man who tends the
“Mi Amigo” memorial every day. I was so proud to build one for him, and I was told that he was very emotional when he was presented with it.

It was the story of the “Mi Amigo” and Tony that gave me the idea to build a replica model and so spread the story around the world. The model is a thank you from all of us who have been touched by the story of Tony and the brave crew of the “Mi Amigo”.