Memorial

More information

"The aircraft was on a supply low level mission to Wesel, Germany. After making the supply drop while flying at approximately 300 feet altitude the aircraft was hit by 20mm cannon fire from the ground. A fire broke out between number one and two engines starting on the leading edge of the wing. Small arms fire had made numerous holes in the ship. All equipment in the navigators compartment was hit including interphone and oxygen equipment.
I was standing between Pilot and Co-Pilot when hits were made and order to bail out was given. The ship was in a turn to avoid the town of Wesel and number one and two engines were cut out and no altitude could be gained. Nothing was heard from the two gunners in the waist, Sgt Jack D. Smith and Sgt Paul R. Walder. It is assumed by the survivors that these two gunners stayed with the ship along with the pilot 2nd Lt Dale D. Beasley. The ship was last seen making an S-turn. Visibility was very poor as a result of battle smoke and screen laid down by allied troops. The nose gunner states he saw the ship later go down in flames but this cannot be verified."
Statement from Richard C. Brown, S/Sgt

Lt Beasley tried to keep the airplane in the air so that all crew members would have ample time to bail out. Of a crew of eight, five were killed: the pilot Lt Beasley, the co-pilot Lt Thomas E. Campbell Jr., the navigator F/O James H. Anderson, the tail gunner Sgt Paul R. Walder and the waist gunner Sgt Jack D.W. Smith.