On the north side of the road. It is placed on the left behind the cross.

A square, black, stone plaque mounted on the low red brick wall behind the cross. The plaque is inscribed with a commemoration message written in French in gold lettering. This plaque commemorates the B-26 #43-34151 that crash-landed in La Neuville-Housett on November 25, 1944. Also inscribed on the plaque are the names of the crew members of the plane. Four members of the crew were killed in this incident. The whole memorial was erected in 1947 and rededicated in November 2001.

On returning to their base, A-71, from a bombing mission at Kaiserslautern, Germany, the pilot and co-pilot forgot to reset the altimeter. They thought they were flying 200 feet higher than they actually were. The weather was bad. It was snowing and sleeting, and it was dusk or night. The pilot and co-pilot didn't have time to react before it was too late.

Here's the description of the accident from the Squadron/Signal Publications, B-26 Marauder, In Action No. 210, pages 31 and 51:

“On November 25, 1944, Lt. Ray and crew were returning from an operational mission after darkness when the airplane crashed. From an inspection of the wreckage and marks left in the terrain it appears that the airplane was flying very low and struck the ground at full speed. Although the belly landing was very gentle it is doubtful that it was made intentionally. Since it was dark and visibility very poor in the rain and there is no evidence of mechanical malfunction it is doubtful if the pilot was attempting a forced landing.

Reports of other pilots flying in the same vicinity at the same time indicate that moderate storm conditions existed and that they encountered moderate turbulence while on instruments.

It is the opinion of this board that the pilot was making a let down since he was nearing the vicinity of the field and on breaking out at a very low altitude flew into the ground before recovering from instruments. The altitude of the terrain at the point where the crash occurred was 400 feet higher than the elevation of the field. Although the pilot of the airplane sustained only minor injuries he remembers very little about the crash and has been unable to furnish the board with any worthwhile information.

There was not sufficient change in barometric pressure at the station to cause an appreciable altimeter error if pilot neglected to reset his altimeter on return to the field. It is possible that the pilot could have set in the wrong pressure if he had attempted to reset his altimeter, but this is doubtful since it would require a rather large error to be a direct cause of the accident. It is believed the pilot neglected to consider the error caused by altimeter lag and attempted to let down too low in the vicinity of the field where he knew there were hills or that he and his airplane were caught in a down draft and struck the ground before recovery was possible.

The board recommends that all pilots be cautioned against letting down dangerously low and that they be further cautioned as to the limitations of the pressure altimeter.

It is judged by this board to be 100% pilot error.”

The crew members were:

Other sources of information: www.asisbiz.com, francecrashes39-45.net

Source of photos: aerosteles.net

En mémoire de l'équipage

du bombardier américain B26 Maraudeur

tombé à la Neuville - Housset

le 24 Novembre 1944.

William Floyd Ray

Dennis Jones

Raul Pompa

Preston Prejean

James Dubois

James Padgett

Wetzel Kimball

English translation:

In memory of the crew

of the American B26 Marauder bomber

fallen at la Neuville - Housset

on November 24, 1944.

William Floyd Ray

Dennis Jones

Raúl Pompa

Preston Prejean

James Dubois

James Padgett

Wetzel Kimball