The small area is a scar of exposed rock and soil on which the memorial stands and where no vegetation grows. On the left-hand side next to the memorial stone is a boulder with a cross on the top.

A rough-hewn stone that holds a vertical-oriented rectangular black plaque commemorating the five men and a dog who were killed in the crash of their B-24 Liberator in the area. The plaque is inscribed in English in engraved and white lettering. The inscription contains the commemoration message, the list of names, then the 8^th Air Force insignia on the lower center.

On 7 January 1944, the B-24J #42-99991, named ‘Bachelor’s Baby’ by its crew, had left their base in Palm Beach, Florida a month earlier and had taken the “southern” route to Britain, via Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Brazil then across the Atlantic to Dakar, Marrakech and onto RAF Valley on Anglesey.  The plane was then due to fly from RAF Valley to RAF Watton in Norfolk where the American Air Force had a base.

On that afternoon, the Liberator took off from the R.A.F. station on Anglesey with orders to follow a B17 ‘Flying Fortress’ which was to act as their escort to their new base in eastern England.  Heavy cloud and drizzle meant that they lost sight of the B17 and worse the magnetic compass was malfunctioning.  The clouds broke for an instant and they realized that they were too low and despite the best efforts of the pilot, Adrian Shultz, the plane struck a ridge, crashed, and burst into flames.  The plane was carrying a huge cargo of ammunition and on the impact, it started to explode.  The surviving airmen struggled valiantly to help their comrades who were trapped in the burning airframe but sadly for some it was too late.

The bomb aimer, 2nd Lieutenant Norman Boyer managed to make his way down to a local farmhouse near Rowen and raised the alarm.  However local men working at the quarry and PC Hughes-Parry of Llanfairfechan had arrived at the crash site after seeing and hearing the plane in difficulty overhead and on arrival administered first aid before carrying the injured down the mountain to Graiglwyd Hall in Penmaenmawr.  They were treated by a local doctor before being taken by ambulance to a hospital in Bangor.  Before being transferred to hospital, Sergeant Harold Alexander, a gunner on the aircraft, pleaded with one of the quarrymen, Ellis Lewis, if he would go back to the crash site and bury their mascot – Booster.  Mr. Lewis did as he was asked and buried the little black and white fox terrier on the plateau next to the burnt-out aircraft.

Onboard were 10 crew members, one passenger who had missed his own flight and was hitching a ride, and a dog. Two of the crew, the passenger and the dog died at the scene, while 2 more crew members later died of their injuries.

CREW:

Second Lieutenant Adrian Schultz, pilot; injured, survived

Second Lieutenant Arthur Davis, co-pilot; died of wounds, 8 January 1944

Second Lieutenant Norman Boyer, bombardier, injured, survived

Second Lieutenant Julian Erts, navigator; injured, survived

Staff Sergeant Samuel Louis Offutt, engineer; killed

Staff Sergeant John Tymczak, radio operator; injured, survived

Sergeant William Nichols, ball turret gunner, killed

Sergeant Joseph Nieglos, waist gunner; injured, survived

Sergeant William Lorenz, waist gunner; died of wounds, 8 January 1944

Sergeant Harold Alexander, rear turret gunner; injured, survived

Technical Sergeant Nicholas Cennemo, passenger; killed

Booster, crew mascot; killed and buried at the site

Source of information: aircrashsites.co.uk, homefrontmuseum.wordpress.com

Source of images: aircrashsites.co.uk, geotopoi.wordpress.com

TO THE CREW OF

BACHELOR'S BABY

B-24J LIBERATOR 429991

KILLED IN THE CRASH

JANUARY 7th 1944