Memorial

More information

Prior to enlisting, T-Sgt. Turner attended schools of Southwest Harbor and Northeast Harbor. He had been a welder for the Southwest Harbor Boat company. He enlisted in the Army in March, 1943 and was assigned to the Air Corps, training in Florida, Biloxi, Miss., Texas, Nebraska, and received his wings at Harlingen, Texas, in March 1944.

The mission was secret supply & personnel drop near Linz, Austria - Target reached and contents of plane dropped according to schedule - Seven minutes (20 miles) south of Linz, Austria on return trip to base plane was attacked by night fighter - Fighter made one pass from below firing rockets, small cannon and machine guns3 - First blast set plane (B-24) afire in nose and flight deck - Probably killed crew members on flight deck as plane immediately went out of control - Four men bailed out successfully before plane exploded in midair - Was told by Germans that plane crashed and bodies of four men had been found - Men killed included. The investigation revealed that laborers, under the direction of German soldiers, had buried the four victims were they fell, in three separate graves, on the afternoon of 26 April 1945. Graves were marked with wooden crosses. A grave containing two victims was marked "2 American flyers fallen 26 April 1945." Two other graves were nearby. The wreckage of the plane was scattered over a 1 square mile area. The fuselage was located bearing the number 295131; Mag Drop's tail number. The report contains a hand drawn map of the crash site including the locations of the graves and wreckage.

The only body positively identified at the crash site was the body of Leslie L. Turner. His ID tags were buried with him.

T/Sgt Leslie L. Turner was first buried at Temporary American Military Cemetery Ardennes, Belgium Block AA, Row 8, Grave 189.