Memorial

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Melvin Stoddard worked for the U.S. Rubber Co. before he enlisted on 17 August 1942.

He graduated from the Army Air Forces Technical School as an aviation mechanic and gunner.

During the summer of 1943, the B-24 of which he was a crew member was shot down over the English Channel. only he and the pilot survived the crash. He returned to the United States after that experience and was given an opportunity to remain there as an instructor. He turned down the offer and volunteered for overseas duty again.

The B-17 was attacked by enemy fighters. The no. 3 engine was knocked out and the propeller would not feather. Also the right stabalizer had been shot off. Sgt Ernest G. Kretchmer, enigneer, noticed that the main oxygen supply system was on fire as well as the nose catwalk area. Starting to fall faster from formation und still under heavy attack, the bail out order by Lt Reid was given. The airplane suddenly went into a hard right spinning drive.

A crew member of another B-17 in the formation saw that a German fighter just clipped the right wing tips and the plane went into a hard spinning drive to the right.

A surviving crew member saw Sgt Stoddard struggling to abandon the plane, crouching with hand pressed to his stomach. He also saw that the silk of his parachute was spilled out of the pack.

Four crew members managed to bail out, but the parachute of the co-pilot, Lt Morgan, caught fire and he didn't survive the jump. Six other crew members died in the crash. The killed men were initially buried at the cemetery of Bad Münder on 14 January 1944.