Memorial

More information

Statement of surviving crew member, Leroy E. Dunster: "We were attacked by German fighter planes (Fw-190s) just after we passed over the Zuyder Zee and were under continuous attack from there until the time our ship was put completely out of commission. We suffered a few hits early in the attack, but I don't believe anyone was wounded. A piece was blown out of the top of the turret, but the bombardier, who was flying that position, said he was not hit. We then went through a flak area, over Eisenach, I think it was, and received a few more minor hits. Immediately after the flak, we had another fighter attack. This time by JU-88s. In this attack, a shell burst just outside the flight deck and caused me to receive wounds in both hands and one leg. I am sure that up until this time, no one had been hit on our ship, and since I didn't have time to report my wounds to the pilot, I heard none of the others mention any either. After I opened the bomb bays and watched the bomb strike and closed the doors again, I returned to my radio to pick up the Bomb Strike Message. About this time, we received a direct hit in our No. 3 engine, which tore it completely off the wing. We immediately lost altitude, and the pilot gave the order to bail out. I opened the bomb bays again and prepared to jump, as did the others who were on the flight deck. This includes the Engineer, Pilot, and Co-pilot. As the pilot and co-pilot climbed out of their seats, we must have gone into a spin, and I was unable to move at all. Both pilot and co-pilot returned to their stations and took the controls. Sgt Banta, the Engineer, was standing at the bomb bays with me and, as I thought, would jump with me. I was suddenly thrown out through the open bays and saw nothing more of anyone on the airplane.

"The plane seemed to be in a steep dive and perhaps turned over in the air, and there was a terrific force in play that prevented me from moving. I did hear a terrific loud explosion a few seconds after being thrown from the plane."

Seven crew members were killed, and two survived and were taken prisoner.

After the crash, German troops recovered the remains of the ball turret gunner and buried them in a local cemetery. The other six crewmembers, including Coy, were unaccounted for following the war.
In March 1952, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel in the European Theater, took custody of comingled unidentified remains recovered from Bad Salzungen Cemetery. These remains, X-9093 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9093), X-9094 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9094), and X-9095 Griesheim Mausoleum (X-9095), were believed to be those belonging to S/Sgt Coy’s downed aircraft. At the time, identification of these remains was not possible, and they were interred in the Ardennes American Cemetery.