Bid for WW2 airmen memorial backed in West Suffolk
Five American airmen lost their lives during a plane crash in 1945
A bid to honour airmen whose plane crashed in a town during World War Two has been backed by a council.
Michelle Spatariu submitted plans to West Suffolk Council on behalf of Mission Mistress Memorial Trust to build a memorial at Home Covert, in Symonds Road, Bury St Edmunds, in March.
The bid sought to honour the lives of American airmen, from the Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 42-97082 ‘Mission Mistress’, which crashed in Home Covert on January 6, 1945.
Following support from Bury St Edmunds Town Council, planners at West Suffolk Council decided to approve the plans under delegated authority.
According to planning papers, the plane had taken off from the nearby Rougham Airfield, home of the 94th Bomb Group, at 8.15am and was headed for Kaiserslautern, in Germany.
Of the nine-strong crew, from the 410th Bomb Squadron, 94th bomb group, five men lost their lives in the explosion resulting from the crash — the other four men were injured.
The names on the memorial will read:
1st Lt. Jack W Collins. Pilot – KIA
2nd Lt. Robert J. Doran. Co-pilot.
2nd Lt. Gordon F. Henry. Navigator – KIA.
Sgt Clinton R. Hallman Jr. Togglier – KIA.
S/Sgt James F. Tate. Top Turrent Gunner/Engineer – KIA.
Sgt Raymond J. Von Bokel. Radio operator KIA.
Sgt Ony M. Carrico. Ball Turret Gunner.
Sgt Nicholas A. Urda. Waist Gunner.
Sgt Cecil H Schermerhorn. Tail Gunner.
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.