File 264. 1943-01-27/27 B-24D 41-23690 1Lt. Cargile Wadden Sea

Details
Date: 1943 Jan 27/27 A/C Type: B-24D Liberator SN: 41-23690 Code: A/C Nickname: -
 File: 264 Airforce: USAAF Sqn/Unit: 44 BG - 68 BS Mission/Raid: Wilhelmshaven/Vegesack. Bombed Lemmer.
1 Pilot 1Lt. Nolan B. Cargile                 MIA 9 Gunner S/Sgt. Solomon I. Wise                  MIA
2 CP 2Lt. Kenneth H. Moore              MIA 10 Gunner S/Sgt. Arthur A. Van Cleef            MIA
3 Nav Capt. Oscar H. Wilkinson    Terschelling-Margraten 11    
4 B 2Lt. Paul H. Keilman                 MIA 12    
5 E T/Sgt. Saul Suskind              Terschelling-Margraten 13    
6 RO S/Sgt. Michael Geriok                MIA 14    
7 Gunner S/Sgt. Paul M. Crane                MIA 15    
8 Gunner S/Sgt. Verne C. Stewart       Terschelling-Ardennes 16                    

One of the first raids on Germany by the USAAF. Targets in northern Germany were obscured by coulds and bad weather. As alternative target they chose the Dutch town Lemmer! Although many Germans there, the bombs fell behind the town in the fields. A German FW190 fighter with dead pilot (Koch) ran into Cargile's B-24, severed the left wing and tail. Both aircraft went down into the Wadden Sea.
 


The orange dot marks the crash position in the Wadden Sea. Three men could parachute out just before the aircraft exploded, but drowned. At least 2 of them were recovered and buried in West-Terschelling. Because the aircraft exploded in mid-air, only fragments of crew and aircraft fell into the sea. The 7 men in the aircraft are MIA. A year later, S/Sgt. Verne C. Stewart was also buried in West-Terschelling (red dot on the island on map), possible his remains were found during a recovery of a part of the wreck. 














































































Sources/Read more:

- File on war cemetery Terschelling Island:  http://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/900.html

- http://www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem21.htm

- http://www.basher82.nl/Data/margraten/suskind.htm 

- ABMC

- West-Terschelling 'Longway' Cemetery: can also be found via Search Menu - Search on: Cemeteries - Lake Area Cemeteries - All.   






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