Memorial

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2nd Lt John J. Caulfield graduated from St. Rita High School and was a stock clerk at Peoples Gas and Electric Co.

Lt. Kamenitsa, the Pilot, in a subsequent report after his POW release stated his crew was on Mission #10 this date and after the fighter attacks (and mid-air collision with ship #062), he was tempting to return to England but was forced to crash land the ship about 23 miles north of Hannover, Germany. He stated further that no member had to bail out this aircraft and all members were aboard at crash landing time, everyone calm, but that the Co-Pilot and Engineer were slightly injured and the rear gunners including all turret gunners were in good condition.
He also stated regarding one of the dead crew men - the Navigator, Lt. Caulfield - that they were attempting to make a cloud bank and navigate back towards England, and had directed the Navigator to come up on the flight deck with his maps, also noting that Lt. Caulfield was not injured at this time. He reported further that later, the Germans had found the maps in the wreckage and showed them to the Pilot, but that he (Kamenitsa) had been unconscious for about 30 minutes after the crash landing. The report stated that it was certain that the Navigator had not bailed out prior to the crash.
Lt. Caulfield, it was noted, was on his 12th combat mission. The German Report from Airfield Command A23, #KU1716, noted the crash landing site of this plane as 1 kilometer east of Meitze and 23 kilometers north of Hannover ; that the ship was 30% damaged; and that 3 dead crew men were found in the wreckage with 7 others being captured on the spot. Lt. Caulfield, Lt. Miller and S/Sgt Trivison were correctly identified and named as the dead members, in this report.