Monument Details

Siracourt United States Air Force Fallen Airmen Monument

Details:

The third monument.

Monument

A tapering rectangular slab on a concrete base. The slab has several plaques that contain the commemoration message and lists of aircrew. The monument is dedicated to 43 airmen from the Royal Air Force, Commonwealth air forces, and the United States Army Air Force, who died in missions targeting Siracourt, France, between February 11 and July 6, 1944, during World War II. It also honors the crew of a B-24 Liberator bomber (42-72866) "Jackass Male," which crashed near Siracourt on April 1, 1944.

The upper plaques list the names of the 43 aviators from both RAF and USAAF who lost their lives during bombing raids aimed at disrupting the operations at Siracourt, a critical site for Germany’s V-1 rocket program. Below that, another plaque specifically commemorates the "Jackass Male" crew. The bomber, part of the 889th Bomb Group, was returning from a raid on Germany when it was hit by German anti-aircraft defenses and crashed. The monument includes the names and details of the 11 crew members, of which only three survived. The bottom part of the monument displays photos of the crew and the B-24 bomber.

Source of information and photo: en.wikipedia.org, cardinalnews.org

Monument Text:

Upper plaques:

A la mémoire des 43 Aviateurs de la Royal Air Force, des forces aériennes du Commonwealth et de la United States Army Air Force tués au cours des missions vers Siracourt du 11 Février 1944 au 8 Juillet 1944

English translation: In memory of the 43 Airmen of the Royal Air Force, Commonwealth Air Forces and United States Army Air Force killed during missions to Siracourt from 11 February 1944 to 8 July 1944

Le 11 février 1944, B-24 du 93rd Bomb Group abattu près de Troyes:

(English translation: On February 11, 1944, B-24 of the 93rd Bomb Group was shot down near Troyes:)

Omar A. TURNER – Georgia, USA
Hubert TARDIF – Colorado, USA
Wilfried Koehn – Illinois, USA
Theodore H. OLSON – Minnesota, USA
Mitchell W. POWELL – Oklahoma, USA
Willis D. KING – Florida, USA
Robert E. HAGEY – Indiana, USA
Ruel K. BOONE – Caroline du sud, USA
Herbert Joseph GARROW – New York, USA
Clifford A. STAFFORD – Kansas, USA

Le 22 avril 1944, B-26 du 344th Bomb Group abattu à Aubervilliers:

(English translation: On April 22, 1944, B-26 of the 344th Bomb Group shot down at Aubervilliers:)

Henry Premyslaus KOZLOWSKI – California, USA
Gilbert James GORSKI – Wisconsin, USA
Gordon Lester RASCHKE – Illinois, USA
John Joseph KOPINSKI – Illinois, USA
Everett Trueman SMITH – Missouri, USA

Le 2 juillet 1944, B-24 du 487th Bomb Group abattu à proximité de Boncourt et Rosnay:

(English translation: On July 2, 1944, B-24 of the 487th Bomb Group shot down near Boncourt and Rosnay:)

James A. LOGAN – Massachusetts, USA
Bruno MATIKA – Oklahoma, USA
William T. JOHNSON – New York, USA
Max W. WILSON – Texas, USA
Herman William BUCK – New York, USA
Louis PELLIIZER – California, USA

Lower plaques:

A la mémoire de l'équipage du Bombardier B-24 Liberator « Jackass Male » qui s'est écrasé le 1er Avril 1944 à proximité de Siracourt

(English translation: In memory of the crew of the B-24 Liberator Bomber "Jackass Male" which crashed on April 1, 1944 near Siracourt)

Le bombardier quadrimoteur américain du 389th Bomb Group revenait d'un raid sur l'Allemagne quand il a été touché par la défense anti-aérienne du secteur de St Pol-sur-Ternoise et il est tombé près de Siracourt

• William H. KNOWLES - Géorgie USA - Prisonnier

• Randolph M. PEALE - Virginie USA - Décédé

• Clemens J. GRAMLING Jr - Ohio USA - Décédé

• Jack E. SLAUGHTER - Louisiane USA - Décédé

• George C. AGEE Jr - Virginie USA - Prisonnier

• William E. SYLVESTER - New Jersey USA - Décédé

• Chartes T. TINGLE - Géorgie USA - Décédé

• Victor L. BYRD - Mississipi USA - En fuite

• Cletus T. NITSCH - Maryland USA - Décédé

• Allen M. MACHIA- Vermont USA - Décédé

• William M. BRYSON, Dakota du Nord – Décédé

English translation:

The American four-engined bomber from the 389th Bomb Group was returning from a raid on Germany when it was hit by anti-aircraft defenses in the St Pol-sur-Ternoise sector and crashed near Siracourt.

• William H. KNOWLES - Georgia USA - Prisoner

• Randolph M. PEALE - Virginia USA - Deceased

• Clemens J. GRAMLING Jr - Ohio USA - Deceased

• Jack E. SLAUGHTER - Louisiana USA - Deceased

• George C. AGEE Jr - Virginia USA - Prisoner

• William E. SYLVESTER - New Jersey USA - Deceased

• Chartes T. TINGLE - Georgia USA - Deceased

• Victor L. BYRD - Mississippi USA - On the run

• Cletus T. NITSCH - Maryland USA - Deceased

• Allen M. MACHIA- Vermont USA - Deceased

• William M. BRYSON, North Dakota - Deceased

Commemorates: