TILLOY-FLORIVILLE 27 avril 1944 B-24 LIBERATOR 41-29467


UN BOMBARDIER S'ABAT EN FLAMMES

Un bombardier américain s'est écrasé en flammes dans une pâture du territoire de Tilloy-Floriville *.

Le Progrès de la Somme, édition du dimanche 30 avril, du lundi 1er mai et du mardi 2 mai 1944 N° 23265


* Tilloy-Floriville est un village picard situé dans le Vimeu, limitrophe de Gamaches.



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Cordialement
Eric Abadie

TILLOY-FLORIVILLE 27 avril 1944 B-24 LIBERATOR 41-29467


Le 27 avril 1944 crash du B-24 LIBERATOR type H-15-CF s/n 41-29467 code NB # X Cerle-A.
Il appartient au 67th Bomber Squadron - 44th Bomber Group de la 8th Air Force
Décollage de la station 115 de Shipdham dans le Norfolk (U.K.)
Le quadrimoteur qui participe à un raid sur les sites V1 dans le Pas-de-Calais. Touché à l'aile droite par la flak de Cerisy-Buleux (Somme) vers 10 h. 00. alors qu'il vole à 6700 mètres, une faible partie de l'équipage parvient à évacuer l'avion.

MACR rapport KU-1649
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/90957233


"The families of many of your comrades have not been as fortunade as yours. Their sons and husbands have been reported missing in action and they are anxiously waiting to learn their fate. You may be able to supply the information wich will help to terminate the suspense and anxiety thez are surferting.
If you have information concerning the death in action or during emprisonment of any member of the armed forces you are requested to furnish the following information about the deceased


Equipage :


1st Lieutenant Howard A. Jr CLAREY, pilote (pilot), USSAF, O-676748, originaire de Yardley (Pennsylvanie) (USA), fils de Howard A. CLAREY - Décédé ; lors de son saut en parachute celui-ci ne s'ouvre pas. Cet officier est initialement inhumé à Abbeville T. 13. De nos jours, il repose au cimetière Saint-Ignatius (St Ignatius catholic cemetery) de Yartley, Bucks Co, (Pennsylvania) (USA).

"Our plane was hit by ennemy flak, right wing knocked off, went into à spin and crashed on ground burning. Our engineer told me that subject bailed out of plane but his chute failed to open. I saw subject's body and recognized it. Germans showed me subject's wallet with identification card in it."

Notre avion a été touché par la DCA ennemie, l'aile droite arrachée, il est parti en vrille et s'est écrasé au sol en flammes. Notre mécanicien m'a dit qu'il (1st Lt Howard CLAREY, pilote) avait sauté de l'avion, mais que son parachute ne s'était pas ouvert. J'ai vu son corps et je l'ai reconnu. Les Allemands m'ont montré son portefeuille contenant sa carte d'identité.

If your information is hearsay give name and address of your informant
S/Sgt Raymond SHIRLEY -engineer, Lexington, Ky (Kentucky)

signé S/Sgt Paul CHAGNON 11116914 37, Lafayette Place, Salem (Massachussetts) 17 August 1945

Sources : MACR - Missing Air Crew Report number 4257


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2nd Lieutenant Carl E. RHODES, copilote (copilot), USAAF, O-747318, originaire de Birmingham (Alabama) (USA), conjoint d'Helen F. RHODES. Décédé ; enterré dans un premier temps au cimetière communal de Tilloy-Floriville, son corps est transféré par la suite au cimetière américain de Colleville-sur-Mer (Calvados) B.1.25


2nd Lieutenant Georges W. FORREST, navigateur (navigator), USAAF, O-695641, originaire de Brookline (Pennsylvania) (USA), né le 3 mars 1918, fils de Georges W. et Amelia D. FORREST. Décédé. Celui-ci est inhumé au cimetière national d'Arlington (Virginie) 34.4814.


2nd Lieutenant Glenn E. HINKLE? Bomb Aimer, USAAF, O-752855, originaire de Burlingame (Californie) (USA). Décédé ; il est initialement enterré à Abbeville T. 14 avant son tranfert vers les Etats-Unis. De nos jours, il repose au Golden Gate National Cemetery K.41 - San Bruno (California) (USA).


Staff/Sergeant Raymond SHIRLEY, Mec./M., USAAF, 15081820, fils de Fanny E. CASSITY, originaire de Lexington (Kentucky) (USA). Fait prisonnier, il est envoyé dans un camp de prisonniers de guerre inconnu.

Casualty questionnaire

Your name SHIRLEY Raymond, Rank Technical/Sergeant, serial n° 15081820
What year month day did you go down ? 1944 April 27
What was the mission ? Target ? V. Sites
Times ? Around 10 : 00 - Altitude 23,000
Where were you when you feft formation ? Over Target
Did you bailed out ? Yes
Did other members of crew bailed out ? Yes, pilot + radio operator
Tell all you know about when, where, how each person in your aircraft for whom no individual questionnaire is attached bailed out. A crew list is attached. Please give facts. If you don't know say : "No Knowledge"

"Pilot, Radio Op. + I all bailed out of left front bomb. PA... Radio Op. bailed out immediately after ship was hit. I left the ship around 15,000 - pilot left immediately after me. All in vicinity target"

Pilote, opérateur radio et moi avons tous sauté en parachute ... L'opérateur radio a sauté immédiatement après l'impact. J'ai quitté l'avion vers 15 000 pieds ; le pilote a sauté juste après moi. Tous (les trois) à proximité de l'objectif.

What members of your crew were in the aircraft when it struck the ground ?

"Unknown, but Germans told us that they buried 6 presume they were in the ship when it struck the ground"

J'ignore, mais les Allemands nous ont dit qu'ils en avaient enterré six ; on suppose qu'ils se trouvaient à bord de l'appareil lorsqu'il a heurté le sol.

Sources : MACR - Missing Air Crew Report number 4257



Staff/Sergeant Paul Leon CHAGNON, Radio/M., USAAF, 11116914. Natif de Salem où il est né le 29 août 1923, fils de Magloire Ladislas et de Alice Mary (Fugere) MAGNON, conjoint de Domenica Elizabeth STELLINE, Hamilton (Massachussetts) (USA). Prisonnier, il est envoyé au Stalag Luft III de Sagan en Silésie. Il décède en 1999.


Staff/Sergeant Allen W. PHILLIPS, MitG, USAAF, 32612831. Originaire de Richmond Hill (New-York) (USA), conjoint de Evelyn D. PHILLIPS. Décédé. Il est inhumé à Abbeville T. 15 avant d'être inhumé dans le cimetière américain de Neupré (Ardennes) (Belgique) C.14.32.


Staff/Sergeant Martin A. RIEGER, MitD, USAAF, 32414057. Originaire de New-York (état de New-York) (USA), fils de Mary A. RIEGER. Décédé. Il repose de nos jours à Long Island National Cemetery J.14933, Farmingdale, (New-York) (USA).


Sergeant Charles Melvin YOUSE, MitA, USAAF, 33498702. 22 ans, né le 21 juin 1921, fils de Charles et Mary Emma (Zerbe) YOUSE, originaire de Sunbury (Pennsylvanie) (USA). Décédé et inhumé à Abbeville T. 11, il repose de nos jours à Orchard Hills Cemetery, Shamokin Dam, (Pennsylvania) (USA).


Sergeant Leslie L. LYTLE, MitN, USAAF, 39328109, conjoint d'Esther M. LYTLE, Portland (Oregon) (USA). inhumé dans un premier temps à Abbeville T. 12, il repose, de nos jours, au cimetière américain de Colleville-sur-Mer (Calvados) B.5.17.



Cordialement
Eric Abadie

TILLOY-FLORIVILLE 27 avril 1944 B-24 LIBERATOR 41-29467


44th Bomb Group Roll of Honor and Casualties
Voir page 10
27 April 1944 ................................................................................................................. 288
Moyenneville, France........................................................................................................ 288
67th Sq., #41-29467 X-Bar, Clarey MACR #4257
https://greenharbor.com/44BGLundyROH.pdf


27 April 1944
Moyenneville, France
This day was the first of the double-header days for the Group, with two separate missions being
flown. One plane was lost on the first mission due to the moderate to intense, accurate flak,
which hit Lt. Clarey’s aircraft.

67th SQUADRON:
67th Sq., #41-29467 X-Bar, Clarey MACR #4257

67th Squadron Crew :

CLAREY, HOWARD A. Jr. Pilot lst Lt. Yardley,
ASN 0-676748 KIA Pennsylvania
RHODES, CARL E. Co-pilot 1st Lt. Birmingham,
ASN 0-747318 KIA Alabama
FORREST, GEORGE W. Navigator 2nd Lt. Upper Darby,
ASN 0-695641 KIA Pennsylvania
HINKLE, GLENN E. Bombardier 2nd Lt. Burlingame,
ASN 0-752855 KIA California
SHIRLEY, RAYMOND Engineer S/Sgt. Lexington,
ASN 15081820 POW Kentucky
CHAGNON, PAUL L. Radio Oper. S/Sgt. Salem,
ASN 11116914 POW Massachusetts
LYTLE, LESLIE L. Nose Turret Sgt. Portland,
ASN 39328109 KIA, buried Normandy (B-5-17) Oregon
RIEGER, MARTIN A. RW Gunner S/Sgt. New York City,
ASN 32414057 KIA New York
PHILLIPS, ALLEN W. LW Gunner S/Sgt. Richmond Hill,
ASN 32612831 KIA, buried Normandy (C-14-32) Queens, N.Y.
YOUSE, CHARLES M. Tail Turret Sgt. Sunbury,
ASN 33498702 KIA Pennsylvania

The MACR states that aircraft #467 was observed to receive a direct hit by flak in its #3 and #4 engines. The right wing fell off and the aircraft tipped on its left wing – started down in a tight spiral. It soon became enveloped in flames and then exploded. No chutes were seen. Radio operator Paul Chagnon was the first man to escape from the falling aircraft, followed by the engineer, Sgt. Raymond Shirley. The pilot, Lt. Howard A. Clarey, Jr. also managed to free himself from the doomed ship but his parachute did not open, or did not have time to open. It could have been that he was knocked out by the explosion and never regained consciousness, but the two men who survived to become POWs did not know for sure.
This was Lt. Clarey’s 28th mission, having flown all previous missions as a co-pilot for Lt. McCormick. This was his first mission with a new crew, which was on its fifth mission.
In a letter dated December 4, 1992, Ray Shirley wrote: “At briefing that morning we had been told that there was one battery of four guns at the target. We were on the bomb run. Paul Chagnon, radio operator, was on the catwalk holding the bomb bay doors open, I was in the top turret. Immediately after dropping our bombs, we took a direct hit just outboard of #3 engine and
lost the wing from there out. I saw it start spinning like a seed pod falling from a tree in the fall season.
“I was thrown forward in the turret as the aircraft started spinning to the right and I started coming out of the turret during which I saw Chagnon bailing out from the catwalk with my chest chute. Someone pulled the plane out briefly and then we started spinning again to the left. I managed to get Chagnon’s chute from his position, got it on and went to the catwalk to bail out.
When I bailed out, Lt. Clarey was on the catwalk to bail out when I left the ship. I finally found the ripcord and started my descent slipping the chute on the way down and ending up with a badly sprained right ankle upon landing. I took up bowling after the war to strengthen it up.
“After getting to the ground, Chagnon came to help me and French civilians were trying to help us. They carried our chutes off and, of course, were speaking French. Chagnon had been born in Canada and had been brought up on French until they moved to the U.S. when he was six or seven years old. But that day he didn’t remember one word of French so the civilian efforts were of no avail. Anyway, Chagnon was helping me. Then the French abandoned us as the German military began to arrive at the scene.
“Chagnon and I approached a barn, which we hoped to get into and hide. As we rounded one corner of the barn, the Germans came around the barn corner at the opposite end with their little ‘burp guns’ and that was it. They put us into a small truck, the bed portion had a cover on it, and inside the truck was Lt. Clarey’s body. His chute had failed to open. We saw no other bodies other than that of Lt. Clarey.
“The Germans took us to a building with an underground bunker where we stayed one or two nights, then through Paris to Dulag Luft and from there to Stalag Luft VI via the 40 or eight rail cars. We were subsequently evacuated from Luft VI to Luft IV via that damned freighter down the Baltic. From IV, I was shipped to Luft I, again on a 40 or eight-rail car and Chagnon wound up on one of those forced marches as the Germans fled from the approaching Russians. The Germans abandoned us at Luft I just a few hours before the Russians arrived. We were eventually evacuated to Camp Lucky Strike in France.”