42-96226 - Luftkriegsarchiv Köln

During the attack on bridges and railway installations in the area around Grevenbroich, the B-26 came under heavy defensive fire from German anti-aircraft guns. The right-hand engine was hit and put out of action, and the aircraft lost altitude very rapidly.

They dropped their bombs, and the pilot ordered the crew to jettison all non-essential weight to make it easier to regain altitude. At an altitude of 3,500 feet, they were struck again by light anti-aircraft fire, causing the aircraft to catch fire and the left engine to fail; the aircraft also lost control of the elevator. The pilot gave the order to bail out. He himself jumped at an altitude of 500 feet, assuming that all crew members had already jumped.

The aircraft crashed in an open field near Laar and was completely burnt out; three crew members lost their lives. There is no evidence to confirm whether the remains were recovered immediately after the crash and buried at the site. It is highly likely that they were only recovered by the American ground forces arriving in Niederkrüchten in early March 1945 and transferred to Margraten Cemetery or to the USA.

S/Sgt Boals had suffered first-degree burns to his head, face and hands and was taken into German captivity along with the other two survivors, who were also seriously injured.

The crash zone and the crash site near Laar

‘Nose Art’ on the B-26 ‘Pretty Polly’