Memorial

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2nd Lt Richard C. Daves volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Little Rock, Arkansas, on 4 November 1942.

Statement from 1st Lt Ray G. Baker, who flew in the same mission: "I was leading an element of two ships while escorting three Warwicks on an Air-Sea rescue mission. 2nd Lt Richard C. Daves was flying on my wing. At approximately 0833, while taking a turn to starboard, I saw a flash of flame in my rearview mirror. I thought it was in my radio compartment and kept looking for it, but it had immediately disappeared from view after the flash. I completed my turn to the right and started turning to port when I saw the flames on the water. I called to the Warwicks and the leader of the Warwicks decided it was useless to send for a surface vessel or to orbit any longer. At the time of the crash, I was flying at approximately 400 ft. just below the layer of stratus clouds, which had a base varying from 200 feet to 500 feet. Under the layers of clouds there was very thick haze with no horizontal and very poor visibility. It was impossible to see where the base of the clouds was unless you flew into them. At the time of the crash, the Warwicks were flying a heading of approximately 69 degrees."

On 14 June 1945, Koue Jensen, superintendent of the police station of Ringkoebing, Denmark filed the following report: "Pastor Huus Aargab came today to the police station and reported that fishermen Sigfred Jensen and Chr. Enevoldsen, both of South Lyngvig, one in October 1944 had delivered a money bag to him, which they, a few days before, had taken from the body of an English (sic) airman, whom they found in the sea. They had, while fishing, got the body in their yarn. As they know that the Germans would demand the body, providing they took it ashore, they only took along the money bag with the identification papers, whereupon they let the body go down in the sea again. As they did not dare keep the money bag themselves, they handed it over to the pastor. The pastor had, during the winter, tried to deliver the bag to the proper authorities, but had not succeeded therein. The moneybag which has now been handed in here at the police station, and kept with the case itself, contained identification papers for: Richard Clinton Daves, born on 3/3/1924, furthermore some photos, a two dollar bill, three pound notes and two five pound notes, besides various ration cards.