Memorial

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Sgt Melvin W. Bridges graduated from Chanute High School and was employed as an aircraft assembler at Beech Aircraft.

Statement from 2nd Lt Richard J. Jordan, pilot:
"While on heavy bombardment mission to Cologne, Germany on 10 January 1945, my A/C, No. 43-37961, was hit by enemy anti- aircraft fire during both the first and second bombing run over the target. The two starboard engines were knocked out of commission, part of the rudder controls were shot away, one-half of the right aileron was destroyed, and about five feet of the right wing tip completely blown off. The right wing was on fire and under instructions given to my crew before take off from our home base, said instructions being that if the inter- communications system was shot out, and the ship was on fire, they were to abandon ship immediately.

I believe that Sgt Melvin W. Bridges, the waist gunner, bailed out before we got behind our own lines in Germany, and, in the excitement of the moment, it was not observed whether his parachute opened or not.

Seven crew members survived, two were killed.

The airplane crashed near Bolland in Belgium.

Sgt Bridges was initially buried at the cemetery of Blatzheim, Germany. When he was disinterred and evacuated to Margraten in June 1945, his remains were marked as Unknown X-1073, although his name was on a marker on his grave. He was reburied at Margraten in a temporary grave on 14 June 1945. Again he was disinterred on 2 August 1948 and his remains were prepared and placed in a casket on 11 August 1948. He was given his final resting place in January 1949.

On one of the photos he poses with his younger brother John.