Next to the RAF monument.

Monument

A stone monument with a rectangular plaque commemorating the crew of the B-17F #42-3436 from the 364th Bomb Squadron, 305th Bomb Group, which was lost on October 14, 1943, during a bombing mission. The plaque provides a detailed account of the event and includes information about each crew member. Featuring an illustration of the aircraft at the top, the text is presented in both Dutch and English. The plaque was installed on October 13, 2018, by the municipality of Kerkrade.

Source of photos: www.google.com/maps

To the memory of the crew of the B-17F #42-3436 of the 364th Bomb Squadron - 305th USAAF Bomb Group based in Chelveston (UK). They crashed near here on ‘Black Thursday’, 14 October 1943, around 13.45 hours on their way to bomb industrial targets at Schweinfurt in Germany. The tail with the two dead waist gunners fell not far from this place behind the former coal mine called Julia. The nose and bombs fell just across the river Worm into Germany near the former hamlet Finkenrath. The navigator and bombardier were found dead nearby the nose. Five crew members survived this crash and were captured. The co-pilot was never found. A German Me-109 fighter pilot, Helmut F. Brinkmann, was shot down by this B-17 and crashed near Kerkrade-Chevremont. His remains were also never found.

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Ter herinnering aan de bemanning van de B-17F #42-3436 van het 364e Bomb Squadron - 305e USAAF Bomb Group die vloog vanaf de Britse basis Chelveston. Zij stortten op ‘Black Thursday’, 14 oktober 1943, rond 13.45 uur hier vlakbij neer, terwijl zij onderweg waren om industriële doelen in Schweinfurt te bombarderen. De staart met daarin de twee dode zijschutters kwam achter de voormalige mijn Julia terecht. De neus met daarin de bommen stortte net over de Worm vlakbij het Duitse Finkenrath neer. De navigator en bombardier werden daar dood gevonden. Vijf bemanningsleden overleefden deze crash en werden gevangen genomen. De co-piloot werd nooit gevonden. De Duitse Me-109-piloot Helmut F. Brinkmann die deze B-17 aanviel, werd van daaruit neergeschoten en stortte vlakbij Kerkrade-Chevremont neer. Ook zijn stoffelijk overschot werd nooit gevonden.

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Missing in action/Vermist

Donald P. Breeden - co-pilot - 22 - remembered at the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten. His remains are most probably interred with those of the navigator and/or the bombardier. Zijn stoffelijke resten zijn waarschijnlijk mee begraven met die van de navigator en/of de bommenrichter.

Killed in action / Gedood

William J. Martin - navigator - 23 - buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten.

Harvey A. Manley - bombardier - 23 - buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten.

Leonard R. Henlin - left waist gunner - 32 - buried at Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial Margraten.

Robert G. Wells - right waist gunner - 20 - buried at the Pythian Ridge Cemetery in Sturgis, Kentucky, USA.

Survived and POW / Overleefd en krijgsgevangen gemaakt

Hosea F. Crawford - radio operator - 1922-1990 - buried in Sahuarita, Arizona.

Dominic C. Lepore - tail gunner - 1921-1995 - buried in Colonia, New Jersey.

Dennis J. McDarby - pilot - 1923-2006 - buried in Morristown, Indiana.

Arthur E. Einrud - top turret gunner/flight engineer - 1920-2012 - buried in Minot, North-Dakota.

Benjamin F. Roberts - ball turret gunner - living in Decatur, Alabama.

May we never forget their sacrifices for our freedom.

Laten wij hun offers voor onze vrijheid nooit vergeten.

Want vrijheid is niet vanzelfsprekend.

13 oktober 2018