Memorial

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Jan Spurgiasz attended college for two years.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States on 21 May 1943, being transferred from the Polish Air Force.

His brother Stanislaw also served in the Air Corps and lost a leg during the Normandy invasion.

Sgt Schooley Jr. (Tail Gunner), the only survivor, states that the plane was not hit over Germany while on their bombing mission but was but shot down over the Netherlands by ground fire. In accordance with an eye witness, the plane was followed by two German fighters and the bomber crew threw some things out. The bomber made a crash-landing at sea with the nose to the south. The German fighters circle above the bomber but didn't fire. At least four crew members climbed into a dinghy and a few others were floating with their life jackets on in the sea. It was tidal and the sea was rough. Suddenly, a machine gun opened fire. Sgt Schooley reached a pier and was picked up by the Germans after a German officer stopped the shooting. The other crew members were killed by the fire or drowned.

Although most likely the airplane was hit by ground fire, Erich Bucholz in a Bf109 claimed the victory.