On 9th October 1944 the crew of this aircraft were undertaking a training flight and also the flight was to act as a test flight for the aircraft as it had just had repairs carried out. The aircraft took off from Harrington, Buckinghamshire and headed north from their base to the Scottish border. On arrival here the weather was bad so the crew opted to return to base. When the arrived back over the Yorkshire area the weather here was poor as well and flying over Holmfirth the aircraft was too low to clear the high ground they were flying towards. The aircraft crashed into high ground towards the north-eastern edge of the Peak District. Sadly nine were killed in the crash, there was one survivor. The body of one member of the crew was never found and identified so he is listed on the walls of the missing. The aircraft and crew were part of the 857th Bombardment Squadron and it carried the nose art "Sack Time".
I would direct anyone with this or any of the flying accidents within the Peak District area to Alan Clark's superb website which details this loss. I no not intend to copy his research and this webpage is created for purely a completeness of the record.
Pilot - 1st Lt Elmer Dean Pitsenbarger USAAF (O-699724) (Air Medal). Of Dallas County, Iowa, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery (E/3/9).
Co-Pilot - 2nd Lt James Delroy Nendel USAAF (O-553334). Of Oregan, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery (E/1/80).
Navigator - Flt Off Jack Melvin Bliss USAAF (T-125474) Air Medal. Of California, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery (E/2/22).
Bombardier - Flt Off Frank Cser USAAF (T-125564) Air Medal. Of New Jersey, USA. Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery (E/0/7). Died of injuries.
Flight Engineer - Tech Sgt Presley Everett Farris USAAF (35128655). Buried Farris Cemetery, East Bernstadt, Kentucky USA.
Wireless Operator - Tech Sgt Joseph William Zwinge Jr. USAAF (39012668). Buried Peoples Cemetery, San Andreas, California, USA.
Air Gunner - Tech Sgt Frank Antonio Villelli USAAF (37563633). Buried Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Air Gunner - Cpl Charles Theodore Lowblad USAAF (39329860). Buried Cambridge Madingley Cemetery (E/2/120).
Passenger - Cpl Clarence Steele Watson USAAF (39406449), of California, USA. No Further details. Missing, commemorated at Cambridge Madingley Cemetery. OR buried West Point Cemetery, West Point, California, USA.
Despatcher - Staff Sgt Curtis Anderson USAAF. Survived.
A memorial at the crash site, photograph kindly supplied by air historian Dave Earl.
I visited the crash site in January 2007, not much remains other than the two massive undercarriage legs and a large area with tiny burnt fragments.
The gravestones of four airmen who are buried at Cambridge Madingley Cemetery.
The memorial wall at Madingley Cemetery that contains Clarence Watson's name. "Find a Grave" displays a gravestone with his details and no indication that this is purely a memorial rather than his burial location.