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This B-26 Marauder, 41-35071, “Frances Joan,” and crew were assigned to the 441st
Squadron of the 320th Bomb Group. They were shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire 7 miles southeast of Orvieto,
Italy. Two crewmembers were buried on November 18, 1949 in Section E Plot 198 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
1/LT Louis
Valls, Pilot Zachary Taylor Nat’l
Cemetery
2/LT Woodrow
W. Owens, Copilot Florence American Cemetery
2/LT Benjamin
E. Sylvester, Bombardier Zachary Taylor Nat’l
Cemetery
2/LT John B.
Williams, Navigator Florence
American Cemetery
S/Sgt Blake Chilton, Engineer
POW (Returned To Duty)
S/Sgt Gilbert S. Corona, Radio Operator
POW
S/Sgt Walter E. Herbert, Gunner
Florence American Cemetery
Eyewitness report:
1/LT Louis Valls, Pilot,
was flying fourth position in first flight, and while on the bomb run, his airplane was apparently hit by flak.
The airplane peeled
off and started down in a steep bank to the left. One landing wheel was seen to come down and one parachute was seen to emerge.
When last seen the plane was approximately seven (7) miles SE of Orvieto at 42° 38' N, 20° 14' E.
This B-24 Liberator, 42-73418, and crew were assigned to the 343rd Squadron of the
98th Bomb group. They were shot down on December 19, 1943 over the Trentino Region of the Italian Alps. They were
buried on August 5, 1949 in Section E Plot 93-95 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
Crew list:
2/LT James O. Patton, Pilot
2/LT Andrew N. Pleshko, Copilot
2/LT Earl M. Johnson, Navigator
S/Sgt
Albert L. Collins, Jr. Engineer
S/Sgt Leon D. Susaman, Radio Operator
Sgt William R. Hunter, Asst Engineer
Sgt Karl
R. Frants, Asst Radio Operator
Sgt James A. Miller, Jr. Gunner
Sgt George L. Simmons, Gunner
T/Sgt Gregory B. Crock,
Gunner
This B-26 Marauder, 42-96249,
and crew were assigned to the 587th Squadron of the 394th Bomb Group. Another B-26, 42-107592, “Stinky,”
of the 584th Squadron of the 394th Bomb Group collided with 42-96249 after icing up resulting in both
planes crashing. This accident happened on June 6, 1944 over Battle,
Sussex, England. Three crewmembers of 42-96249 were buried April 28, 1949
in Section E Plot 47 of the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
2/Lt Thomas F. Jenkins, Pilot Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
2/Lt Walter Winter Zachary
Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt William Hoeb Zachary Taylor
Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Ralph Parker Cambridge
American Cemetery
Sgt George Rogers
Cambridge American Cemetery
Sgt Edward Bailey
Cambridge American Cemetery
It was mission # 58 for the Group. The target were the gun positions at Varreville. Group Leader O'Neil; 34 a/c; dropped 61.25 ton bombs with excellent results. This
was the first mission on D-Day for 394th BG.
42-107592 Crew:
Pilot Lt.
Tommie Potts; managed to bail out and survived, five other crew members lost their lives. The aircraft evidently crashed,
on the way to earth, with 42-96249. Both aircraft were found in the same vicinity.
1st Lt. Christian Burger
1st Lt.
LeRoy Dyer
T/Sgt. George Kyle
S/Sgt. James Long
S/Sgt. George Williams
42-96249 Crew (all lost their
lives):
Pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas Jenkins
2nd Lt. Walter Winter
S/Sgt. William Hoeb
S/Sgt. Ralph Parker
Sgt.
George Rogers
Sgt. Edward Baily
Plaque unveiled to remember brave American
aircrews
Residents gathered at the Royal British Legion in Battle for the unveiling of a
plaque in memory of two American aircrews who lost their lives in a mid-air collision. While
on a mission to bomb gun emplacements in Varreville, France, on D-Day, June 6 1944, the two Marauder B26 Aircraft of 394 Squadron
USAAF Bomber Group collided close to the town in poor weather.
The crew of 42-107592 remained on board to jettison
bombs before crashing at Whatlington Level. Only the pilot survived the crash.
The crew of 42-96249 died when the
plane crashed, causing extensive damage to Ashburnham Place.
At the time of the incident, Ian Cheveralls, then a messenger
boy with the Civil Defence, was on duty at Warden Post at Whatlington Level, opposite Barrack Cottages. He said: "All of a
sudden, the high pitched sound of crashing aircraft came from over the Whatlington area. "The aircraft was heading directly
towards us. We fell to the ground. "Suddenly all the explosion and noise stopped and all we could see was dense smoke, coming
from behind the houses towards us from Barrack Fields. "There was a terrific explosion from the direction of Netherfield area,
and a parachute was coming down from the direction of Whatlington."
Mr Cheveralls later did some research into the
incident and found out the names of the men who died from the American Airforce Aircraft Investigation.
Earlier in
the year, the relatives of the sole survivor of the crash, Lt Tommy Potts, visited the scene and saw the plaque.
Mr
Cheveralls has sponsored the brass plaque, which was made by his brother-in-law James Grant.
Mr Cheveralls said: "It
is now that the true details are to hand of this incident we can now remember these airmen who, in the true light of that
morning, with their devotion to duty, gave their lives."
This
B-17 Flying Fortress and crew were assigned to the 532nd Squadron of the 381st Bomb Group. They crashed
on take-off from a base in England. Four crewmembers were buried on April 30, 1949 in Section E Plot 48 at the Zachary Taylor
National Cemetery
2/Lt Haynes, Kenneth T. Jr, Pilot Cambridge American Cemetery
2/Lt Cusson, Edmond P, Navigator Cambridge American Cemetery
2/Lt Stahlecker, Harry J, Bombardier Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
2/Lt Bemis, Ralph, Copilot Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Ham, Kenneth M. Gunner Zachary
Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
Sgt Herrera, Zeke P. Gunner Unknown Burial Location
S/Sgt Sauld, Edward N. Radio Operator Zachary
Taylor Nat’l Cemetery
S/Sgt Loparco, Harry Cambridge American Cemetery
Sgt Mahaffey, Donald B. Gunner Cambridge American Cemetery
Sgt Plows, Arthur M. Tailgunner Unknown Burial Location
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