INFORMATION & PICTURE SOURCE | Francecrashes39-45.net - Arie-Jan VAN HEES (Facebook.com) - Frédéric LAVERNHE - Remember-our-heroes.nl |
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PROGRAMMER | Frédéric & Renaud |
Crew of B-17 Fortress - type G-15-DL - s/n 42-37833 IY*F"Omar The Dent Maker" |
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Captain | William Madison Jr "Bill" RUMSEY | Pilot | Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer (14) -- B.9.32 - O-728740 - AM+2/PH - 22 Yo | ||
1st Lieutenant | Robert Danial KAERCHER | CoPilot | Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer (14) - B.9.30- O-681433 - AM+2 - 22 Yo | ||
1st Lieutenant | Michael R WALSH | Navigator | Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer (14) - B.10.13- O-676185 - AM+2 - 24 Yo | ||
1st Lieutenant | James D | HAFFNER | Bomber | Prisoner | O-739024 - Seattle, Washington USA - Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia | |
S/Sergeant | Irving Ira "Lucky" | LIEBERMAN | Mechanic Gunner |
Dead | United Hebrew Cem. Halethorpe, Maryland USA - A.8.1- 13103453 - 20 Yo | |
T/Sergeant | William Warren CARTER | Radio Gunner |
Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer (14) - B.9.29 - 39829464 - AM+2/PH - 23 Yo | ||
T/Sergeant | Donald Behrn | ROBERTS | Gunner | Dead | Glenwood Cem. Oneida, Madison Co, New York USA- 32377788 - 23 Yo | |
S/Sergeant | Frank Augustine ROTHWELL | Gunner | Dead | Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer (14) - B.9.31 33330990 - DFC/AM+4/PH - 29 Yo | ||
S/Sergeant | Ivan Riley "Ray" | LEE | Gunner | Dead | 12073240 - AM/PH - 22 Yo | |
Sergeant | John W | CARSON | Gunner | Prisoner | 14043222 - Chattanooga, Tennessee USA - Stalag Luft 1 Barth-Vogelsang | |
L - R, back row:Michael R. WALSH - William M. RUMSEY - Donald B. ROBERTS - Lt. Colonel WHITEL - R Front row:Harold S. ARNOLD - William W. CARTER - Irving I. LIEBERMAN - Ivan R. LEE
The target was Pas de Calais, france and the V-1 installlations from which the Germans launched their rocket attacks on Britain. It was considered a mild run as serious opposition was seldom encountered recently. The crew crossed the channel and headed towards the Initial Point. No fighters were in sight, and no flak had been seen. It was just as the crew were starting on the bomb run that it happened. A shell exploded suddenly inside the plane behind the pilot, Capt William M Rumsey. A single burst of flak had hit them squarly. The plane immediately went out of control and according to eyewitnesses from other planes, the plane flew upside down and backwards through the formation. The plane began to disintregate, wings, engines, etc, breaking off. Two crew members bailed out just before the plane exploded. A French men, J. Yaequemelle, found the bodies of the eight men, no chutes were open. William obviously died before coming to earth. He was requisitioned to take a wagon and two horses and to take the dead soldiers to the cemetery of their village, Bouquemaison, Somme, Picardie, France William and his mates were buried side by side in their uniforms. On June 10, 1945 the bodies of the eight airmen were exhumed by American forces to be buried in a military cemetry. |
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Mission to Watten, France, operation " Crossbow " (Nazi rocket sites), just before bomb run, plane was hit by flak. Chrashed near Bouquemaison, France. |
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Première rangée de gauche à droite : 1er lieutenant Michael R. Walsh Navigator, 1er lieutenant Robert D. Kaercher copilote, capitaine William M. Rumsey, Jr. Pilot, 1er lieutenant James Daniel Haffner Bombardier Source : Max La Menace (Ellen MArchese) |
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SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Monty McDANIEL - www.remember-our-heroes.nl |
8th AIR FORCED-Day - Order of battleU.S. Strategic Air Force: Lieutenant General Carl SPAATZ8th Air Force: Lieutenant General James H. DOOLITTLE
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