A rough-cut stone with a small brass plaque affixed inscribed in English and a bit of Welsh in gold lettering. In 1943, the B-24 #41-23771 crashed near this location. The co-pilot, Dale Cansfield, was killed in the crash. The other crew members were injured. On 3 January 1943, his crew took part in a raid on the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. The primary target at St. Nazaire was the submarine pens and their stores. Thirteen of the 44th’s aircraft were scheduled and took off but only eight managed to complete the formation and bomb the target. They were following the B-17 formations, bombed, and continued following them out over the ocean and back towards England. However, the B-17s erred in their navigation, mistaking the Irish Sea for the English Channel, and extended the briefed time aloft. As the aircraft had not completely filled their fuel tanks, anticipating a short flight, the planes began running dangerously low on fuel. So their planes abandoned the B-17s and quickly sought airfields in southern Wales for emergency landings. Three of their crews were forced to crash-land before safe refuge could be found. This aircraft crashed near the crossroads two miles south of Little Newcastle.

The crew members of #41-23771:

1Lt Ray L. Hilliard - Pilot

2Lt Dale K. Canfield - Co-Pilot

2Lt William T. Auston - Navigator

2Lt Louis A. Fries - Bombardier

T/Sgt Ralph Schweyer - Engineer

T/Sgt Ralph C. Ernst - Radio Operator

Sgt Phillip H. Tritschler - Assistant Engineer

S/Sgt John A. Romeo - Assistant Radio Operator

Sgt Hugh J. Malone - Gunner

Sgt James F. Young - Gunner

S/Sgt Clarence J. Ducote - Tail Turret Gunner

Source of information: www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk, Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, www.greenharbor.com

Source of photo: ww1.wales

THIS STONE MARKS THE SITE

OF THE FORCED LANDING OF

B-24 LIBERATOR No 771 OF

44th BOMB GROUP 8th USAAF

ON JANUARY 3RD 1943

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

YN ANGOF NI CHANT FOD

Full narrative can be found in

St. Peters Church Little Newcastle

English translation:

YN ANGOF NI CHANT FOD – I NEVER CAN BE