Mi Amigo memorial facts for kids

The Mi Amigo memorial is a special war memorial located in Endcliffe Park, Sheffield, England. It remembers a brave American plane crew who died there during World War II. Their plane, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress called Mi Amigo, crashed in the park on February 22, 1944.

The Mi Amigo Plane Crash

On February 22, 1944, during World War II, a brave American plane called Mi Amigo was flying home. This Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress belonged to the USAAF. It was returning from a bombing mission over Aalborg, Denmark. The plane had been badly damaged by enemy fighter aircraft.

Around 5 PM, the plane's engines began to fail. It came out of the low clouds and crashed right into Endcliffe Park. Sadly, all ten crew members on board died.

The pilot, 1st Lt. John Kriegshauser, was very brave. He was given a special award, the Distinguished Flying Cross, after he died. He chose to crash the plane in the park rather than hit children who were playing there. One of those children, Keith Peters, was nine years old at the time.

Even today, if you look from Rustlings Road or Ecclesall Road, you can still see where the crash happened. There's a noticeable dip in the height of the trees on the hillside behind the cafe. This is because many trees were uprooted or had to be cut down due to the crash. Some trees still have scorch marks on their tops, which you can see in winter.

Remembering the Crew

To honor the ten crew members, a group of ten scarlet oak trees was planted on November 30, 1969. On the same day, two special plaques were placed on a large boulder. A ceremony was held, attended by important people like the Lord Mayor of Sheffield and the Bishop of Sheffield.

Since 2018, a local man named Tony Foulds has helped look after the memorial. He sweeps the path and waters the flowers in the Memorial Garden. An information board with a painting of Mi Amigo was also put near the memorial in 2019. This was for the 75th anniversary of the crash. A flagpole was also put up, paid for by students and Boeing Europe.

Every year, around February 22, a memorial service is held at the site. It is organized by the Sheffield branch of the Royal Air Forces Association.

What the Plaques Say

The top plaque on the memorial boulder says (all in capital letters):

The Latin phrase "Per Ardua Ad Astra" means "Through Adversity to the Stars."

The lower plaque lists the names of the ten brave crew members:

• Lt. John Kriegshauser (pilot)
• Lt. Lyle Curtis (co-pilot)
• Lt. John Whicker Humphrey (navigator)
• Lt. Melchor Hernandez (bomb-aimer)
• Sgt. Robert Mayfield (radio operator)
• Sgt. Harry Estabrooks (flight engineer)
• Sgt. Charles Tuttle (lower turret gunner)
• Sgt. Maurice Robbins (rear-gunner)
• Sgt. Vito Ambrosio (waist-gunner and assistant radio operator)
• Sgt. George Malcolm Williams (waist-gunner and assistant flight engineer)

The Commemorative Flypast

In January 2019, a TV presenter named Dan Walker met Tony Foulds. Tony shared his wish for a special flypast over the memorial to honor the crew. Dan Walker helped make this wish known to many people.

On February 22, 2019, exactly 75 years after the crash, the United States Air Force (USAF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) performed a flypast. Ten aircraft flew over the memorial, including:

• A Dakota from the RAF
• An MC-130J Commando II and a CV-22 Osprey from the USAF
• A KC-135 Stratotanker from the USAF
• Two Typhoons from the RAF
• Four F-15E Strike Eagles from the USAF, flying in a special "missing man formation"

The names of all ten Mi Amigo crew members were painted onto the F-15E planes. Thousands of people came to the park to watch this special event. Relatives of the crew members were also there. The event was shown live on TV, and many people talked about it online using hashtags like "#RememberTheTen".

Images for kids

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  The Mi Amigo memorial in Endcliffe Park.