Memorial

More information

While on return flight from Warnemünde the formation was attacked by approximately 12 FW 190 and "Cawn't it Miss" was hit. Both inner engines were set on fire and the crew started to leave the aircraft by parachute. The intercom had been damaged and Tail gunner S/Sgt Oather G. Meese only became aware the crew were bailing out when he saw a person come by the tail. Meese looked up in the waist and saw a person come by the tail. Meese looked up in the waist and saw RH Waist gunner S/Sgt James E. Parker leave while LH Waist gunner S/Sgt Raymond E. Raley was lying dead on the catwalk. Meese then went forward where he met Ball turret gunner S/Sgt Bernard H. Brand and Radio operator S/Sgt Tomothy J. Nunan. They helped each other put on seat dinghy's and bailed out. All three of them landed on the island of Lolland. The aircraft crashed near Meltofte on Lolland at 14:00 hours. On 31/5 the body of Bombardier 2nd Lt William H. Craighead was found washed ashore near Tjørneby on Lolland and was laid to rest in Svinø cemetery on 1/6-1944.