Page 33 - Cadet Review Autumn 2023

REMEMBERING MI AMIGO
By CI Elizabeth Wright
In a quiet corner of Endcliffe Park in Sheffield, there is a little-known but incredibly well-maintained memorial. It is known as the Mi Amigo Memorial, and it is dedicated to the ten members of what was then the United States Army Air Force who, on the 22nd
of February 1944, crash-landed their B-17 Flying Fortress, Mi Amigo, in the park.
The crew, pilot 1st Lt John Kriegshauser, co-pilot 2nd Lt Lyle Curtis, navigator 2nd Lt John Humphrey, bombardier 2nd Lt Melchor Hernandez, flight engineer/top turret gunner S/Sgt Harry Estabrooks, radio operator S/Sgt Robert Mayfield, ball turret gunner Sgt Charles Tuttle, waist gunners T/Sgt Malcolm Williams and Sgt Vito Ambrosio, and tail gunner Sgt Maurice Robbins, were part of the
364th Bomber Squadron, based at Chelveston, Northamptonshire. They were returning from a bombing mission over Aalborg, Denmark, during which Mi Amigo was heavily damaged by enemy fighter aircraft. Around 5pm, with heavy damage to the engines, the flying fortress emerged out of low clouds over Sheffield, hoping to land in Endcliffe Park. As they got lower, however, they realised that there were children playing in the park, and so they made the courageous decision to crash the plane into
it was wonderful to have so many squadrons come together at
a memorial that could
so easily be overlooked, nestled as it is amongst the trees
the hillside, rather than risk the lives of the children. Every member of the crew perished.
One of the children who were in the park on
that fateful day, Tony Foulds, works tirelessly and lovingly to maintain the memorial. His dedication
to ensuring the crew of Mi Amigo are remembered is truly inspiring. In 2019 he met BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, who publicised Tony’s wish for a commemorative flypast. On 22 February 2019, at 8:45 am, the United States Air Force (USAF)
and Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out a fly-past to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the crash. Since then, Covid has put a stop to the annual memorial services. But this year, cadets and staff from 218 Squadron were joined by other squadrons, together with members of the Sheffield branch of the Royal Air Forces Association, invited guests, and members of the USAF for an act of remembrance that began at the crash site and ended with a service of remembrance at St. Augustine’s Church. It was
a poignant and emotional act of remembrance,
and it was wonderful to have so many squadrons come together at a memorial that could so easily be overlooked, nestled as it is amongst the trees.
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