Family's journey to honour WW2 airman at crash site

Relatives of an American airman who died in the Isle of Man's biggest aviation disaster have visited the site of the crash 80 years on.

US service personnel were travelling from Essex to Northern Ireland on a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber when it hit the rocky hillside of North Barrule, killing all 31 on board.

Donald Madar is the great nephew of technician Andy Piter Jr, from Pennsylvania, who was 22 when he died in the crash.

He said he visited the site with his cousins for the first time "to honour him".

Mr Madar had planned on making the trip for the 75th anniversary in 2020 but was unable to due to the coronavirus pandemic.

To see remains of the wreckage and the American flag fly next to the hillside memorial, was "humbling" for his family, he said.

Just weeks before the end of World War Two, on 23 April 1945, the servicemen were due to visit Belfast for a few days of rest.

The group were to have a short break from the base at Ridgewell in Essex where they repaired bombers.

Mr Madar said: "I started investigating his life back in 2003 and I was able to talk to many of the folks that he served with at Ridgewell.

"I kept digging and he became a very interesting figure for us."

In his grandmother's house there was "a painting of Andy", he said, adding: "We all looked up to him as our family hero."

Mr Madar said it was very "touching" to visit the site where remains of the wreckage remain to this day.

"It's beyond words to be here, and experiencing that with friends and family," he said.

"It really means a lot to our family."

Each year, members of the Manx Aviation and Military Museum fly the American flag next to the memorial to mark the anniversary.

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