Memorial

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About half an hour after the group had dropped their bombs in the Waggum plant, the B-17 flown by Lt Herschel A. Jarrel was destined not to return. Aboard Jarrel's plane was the 447th Group Commander, Lt Col Charles H. Bowman, acting as Co-Pilot. The plane, flying on to the high squadron, was struck by an enemy rocket which went through the plane from tail to nose, setting it on fire. Col Bowman was found weak through lack of oxygen by bombardier Thomas M. Tate. He gave him an emergency bottle just before the navigator, John R. Cole, and the engineer, Eugene L. Landry, bailed out. Also, Thomas M. Tate bailed out, but his chute failed to open. Jarrel's doomed plane dove 5,000 feet, where it exploded in the air, killing the remaining 7 crewmen still aboard. The remnants of the plane came down 2 miles north of Rohburg at 1249 hours. The body of radio operator Sgt John H. Smither was not found before 14th August 1944. His mortal remains were discovered in the Swump near Rohburg.