Memorial

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S/Sgt Stanley W. Rust was an electrician apprentice.

He enlisted in Erie, Penssylvania on 20 July 1942 and was sent overseas in October 1943.

Statement from 2nd Lt Bernard A. Grossman:
"We were on our way back from Kiel, after having dropped our bombs on the target thru and undercast. We were at 18,000 ft. when we were hit by individual tracking bursts of flak at a position which I fixed about 15 Mi. near the Danish coast. The ship had pulled away in fairly straight and level flight, the loging altitude with flak continually bursting about it. Finally, it made a very wide circle as it neared the undercast at the distance below and through, I saw flames. As an indication of what might have happened to my capture follows: I broke thru the undercast, inflated my Mae West and plummeted into the water. Before I could unbuckle all bucles of my parachute, my hands became numb so that I was unable to remove it. I saw a light house a few mis. distant and tried to pull my parachute but became exhausted. I heard a shout for help from off in the distance and decided to do the same. Presently a lifeboat appeared on the horizon. It contained two German sailors. They reached me, fished me out of the water and I passed out. I regained consciousness under blankets in the interior of what I found was a large German warship, most likely a cruiser. After a while, I was placed in launch with the two other boys who were captured, T.Sgt Landarr and S.Sgt Cargill, and was brought into a sub pen at Wilhelmshaven."

S/Sgt Stanley Rust's remains were found on 4 March 1944 near the lighthouse Arngast in the Innenjade near Wilhelmshaven. He was initially buried at the military cemetery of Wittmund on 6 March 1944.

Three crew members survived and were taken prisoner, seven were killed.