John P. LIPSCOMB

John P at 18

B-26 Marauder - type C-5-MO - s/n 41-34706 VT*K "Starry Knights"

Macr: 213

Mission: Aerodrome of Poix-de-Picardie (80)

Takeoff Station 358 Earls Colne, Essex UK

Shot by flak at 11:23 am - Airplane partially evacuated

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

John P while posted to Florida at age 22.

By Julie Mac LEMORE WELLS (Niece)

I do have quite a lot of information/stories about him. He was born in Mississippi but did most of his growing up at 945 Madison Ave, Huntington, WV, the middle child in a family of five kids. He was a graduate of Marshall College (now Marshall University) where his big interest was theater. He was an active and enthusiastic Boy Scout leader and a member of Second Presbyterian. His intention was to get a graduate degree in sociology or psychology and go into social work. He learned to fly before enlisting (his teacher was a woman - very unusual in those days!) and taught flying as a civilian. After enlisting he was stationed in California, Texas, Florida, and South Carolina. When he deployed to Earls Colne airfield in England, he was one of the men who went as a pilot to transport a plane and arrived a fewmonths before most of the rest of the airmen with responsibilities for preparing the airfield.

Most of the letters from his parents to him were returned after his death, and I have a lot of those. I also have the letter that he wrote to be delivered to his widow, Phyllis, in the event of his death as well as a letter from his CO to Aunt Phyllis a few days after the plane went down.

After the Starry Knights crashed in Occupied France, local French men hurried to assist survivors and remove bodies before the plane burned completely. Uncle Johnny was buried in the graveyard of the local church "close to the door so the Holy Mother could watch over him" and his grave was tended by a local teenage girl, Andree Merville. A US reporter wrote about this soon after the war and my grandmother communicated with Mlle Merville for several years. His body was, as you probably know, moved to the American Cemetery in Colleville. About twelve years ago, I connected with Andree Merville's daughter, Nadine, and we continue to correspond with each other. She and her mother (who has since passed away) put together a scrap book about the plane crash and the Comet Resistance effort to return two of the crewmen to the United Kingdom. Nadine has also sent me pieces of the airplane recovered from the field where it crashed.

Uncle Johnny has been our family hero for all of my life. Thanks to all of you who help to keep these memories vivid.

Julie LIPSCOMB

His unit was activated on 04 August 1942 at Mac Dill Field, FLORIDA.

Roland was flying first from a B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Starry Knights" registration 41-34706.

July 31, 1943 is a year after his commitment, Roland is participating in its fifth bombing mission.

The objectives of his unit were the French infrastructure (stations, ports, bridges, factories, ...)

The plane took off from Station 358 Earls Colne Essex ENGLAND.

At 11:23 am a flak shell hit the aircraft at the ammunition bunker which dislocated the aircraft.

3 other crew members died that day.

Captain John P LIPSCOMB, First Lieutenant George P EDWARDS, Second Lieutenant Roger MORWOOD, the first two are also buried in Colleville-sur-Mer military cemetery.

Crew of B-26 Marauder - type C-5-MO - s/n 41-34706 VT*K

"Starry Knights"