In a small clearing in the woods.

An upright black stele inscribed in French in incised and gold lettering commemorating 2 members of the B-25 43-3450, BrGen William H. Eaton and 2Lt Alfred A. Faflik, Jr. The other members mentioned are part of 2 B-17s that collided the same day over the Moselle River: 2Lt Baland and S/Sgt Horton were on 43-38699 and 2Lt Leonard and Cpl Mannies on 43-38167.

That day, according to the accident analysis report, B-25 #43-3450 developed engine trouble in the right propeller which caused it to feather in mid-air. The aircraft was believed by witnesses to have blown up or disintegrated in mid-air. No parachutes were deployed. The aircraft crashed in the woods of Châtel-Montagne. All six members of the crew were killed in this incident.

The crew of the B-25 #43-3450 were:

B-17s #43-38699 and #43-38167 both took off from airfield station 134 in Eye, Suffolk, England, for a strategic mission to Chemnitz, Germany. At 17,000 feet, 43-38699 piloted by 1Lt Dunn collided with the B-17 43-38167 piloted by 1Lt Schoenfield. Both aircraft crashed near Mittersheim, France. This incident resulted in the deaths of 7 out of 10 airmen in 1Lt Dunn’s crew and 5 out of 9 in 1Lt Schoenfield’s crew.

#43-38699, 1Lt Dunn’s crew:

#43-38167 1Lt Schoenfeld’s crew:

En ce lieu, le 6 février 1945

s'écrasa un avion B25

de l'US Air Force

Lt BALAND HELMER.O

Lt LEONARD GARRY.I

Cpl MANNIES DRAYTON.P

Sgt HORTON FRED.H

Bg WILLIAM H.EATON

Lt ALFRED A.FAFLIK.JR

Tous morts pours la liberté

English translation:

On the 6th of February 1945,

a B-25 of the US Air Force crashed here.

Lt. Baland Helmer

Lt. Leonard Garry

Cpl. Mannies Drayton

Sgt. Horton Fred

Bg. William Eaton

Lt. Alfred Faflik

All died for freedom.