Memorial

More information

The airplane was attacked by enemy fighters. Nine crew members bailed out and survived. Only S/Sgt Delamater was killed in the plane by a burst of flak or 20mm from German Fighters and went down with the plane.

On 1 november 1947, an identification team of the U.S. Army discovered a small amount of badly fractured bones and teeth at the cemetery of Bergen, Germany. According to witness statements of German civilians, these remains belonged to an American flyer and were found in a the wreckage of a bomber that crashed near Dageförde on 20 June 1944.

These remains, labelled as Unknown X-7358, were transferred to the identification center in Neuville, Belgium, where they were examinated and brought in connection with S/Sgt Delamater. Later facts proved that this was incorrect.

At that time, however, the remains of another Unknown with number X-7013, were assumed to be of S/Sgt Delamater. These remains had been discovered at the cemetery of Bergen and initially transferred to the British Military Cemetery of Soltau. After further inspection, it appeared that the British unit, who handled this case, transferred the wrong remains to the Americans and that they belonged to a British flyer.

After further investigations it was assumed that the remains of S/Sgt Delamater were disinterred by a British team and, due to the badly mangled and burned condition, were not indentified as an American.