Willis D. King

Siracourt, France

B-24D serial 42-63978 was assigned to the 330th Bombardment Squadron, 93rd Bomb Group (H), based at AAF Station 104. On 11 February 1944 the aircraft departed on an operational mission to Siracourt, France. At approximately 0954 hours the aircraft received a direct flak hit just aft of the waist windows at position 49° 57' N, 01° 42' E. The tail section separated and the remainder of the aircraft dove straight down into cloud cover. No parachutes were observed by other crews. A body struck the trailing edge of the wing of ship #41-24109 C flying in the element behind 42-40985 G, consistent with the catastrophic break-up of the aircraft. German salvage records (AV 707, KU 857) confirm the crash site was approximately 1.5 km south of Dieppe (locality: Les Vertus/Roumesnil-Languedoc area). The fuselage was 100% destroyed; wings, tail assembly, and landing gear were each approximately 50% destroyed. All four R-1830 engines were 100% destroyed. All ten crew members were killed in action. German records indicate the crew were interred in individual graves (Nos. 799-808) at the English Memorial Cemetery Les Vertus near Dieppe on 11 February 1944.