Memorial

More information

Sgt William W. Lambertus graduated from Passaic High School in 1940.
He enlisted on 21 November 1942. He was in the Engineers Corps and trained at the University of Kentucky. In January 1943, he entered the Air Forces and trained in gunnery.
A/C 43-37909 was hit by flak, nosed over and collided with another plane. Lt Ingerson and Sgt Rachak were able to bail out over sea before the A/C went into a dive, that trapped the rest of the crew inside. 2nd Lt Walthall was able to bring the plane back under control and landed on the East Frisian Island of Borkum, Germany. After landing the remaining 7 crew members were captured and taken to the Ostland Flak Battery. Following their interrogation, the crew was ordered to march through the town of Borkum, with their hands up, to an airfield on the southern end of the island. During this march they were abused and assaulted by civilians and workers of the Reichs Arbeits Dienst (similar to the US's Civilian Construction Corps).

A German soldier, a private of the Wehrmacht, who had lost his family during an earlier raid on Hamburg, also heard of the column of American airmen making its way through town. He was filled with rage and saw an opportunity to avenge the deaths of his wife and three children. The German private, Erich Langer, set out to intercept the Americas and caught up with the group of airmen. He shot all 7 men, without being intervened by the guards that accompanied the crew.

Meanwhile Lt Ingerson and Sgt Rachak were taken prisoner. Lt Ingerson landed near a German Panzer (armored) unit and was initially placed at Stalag III. Sgt Rachak was captured by a "home guard" unit and was being transported to Stalag IV. Early 1945 both Stalag III and IV were evacuated and the men had to march through the cold winter to other POW camps. Both Lt Ingersonand Sgt Rachak however survived the war and, eventually, were repatriated to the USA.
Following the war, civilians and military personnel were taken into custody and charged with violating the "Customs of War" and the Geneva Convention Article 2, for their assault and murder on the 7 POW. Three defendants were sentenced the death, others received prison sentences, some to life.