Eyewitness Mrs Leni Gasser, aged 95, formerly of 3428 Wiler near Utzenstorf.
B-17 emergency landing in Utzenstorf, 17 August 1943. She saw the bomber make an emergency landing, raising a huge cloud of dust. She was also one of the first people to arrive at the scene of the emergency landing and was able to look inside the bomber, an experience that has left a lasting impression on her to this day. When the bomber crew were told they had made an emergency landing in Switzerland, she was present and saw how, once they realised they were in Switzerland, the crew threw their clothes, weapons and equipment onto the wing and surrendered. As a result, she was late for school and had to spend half a day writing a penalty assignment – specifically, an essay explaining why she had been late. She was very afraid that the war would now spread to Switzerland as well.
