Memorial

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S/Sgt Robert H. Marbach attended San Antonio Vocational and Technical High School.

The oxygen system was knocked out just as bombs were released. The only alternative was to descend to 15,000 or below to survive. The airplane was on top and they intended to stay in the clouds on the way back. After about 20 minutes they ran out of cloud cover and were immediately attacked by a flock of ME-109's. They were pretty well shot up - out of ammunition and on fire in the right wing. The control column went limp after a hit in the tail section with no control there was nothing they could do except bail out. Two crew members were killed, eight were taken prisoner.

According to the navigator, S/Sgt Marbach was hit by a 20 mm shell in his right leg. He was held prisoner together with the bombardier at some small garrison when they were ordered outside to pick S/Sgt Marbach off a straw cart. He had a large gaping wound in his right leg. Someone had already applied a tourniquet fashioned from part of his Mae West. They didn't have a first aid kit and the Germans didn't give any help, so he died at about 14.30.