Monument Details

Carpetbaggers Collision Memorial

Details:

The memorial is located just east of the south entrance to the cemetery. It can be found directly behind a row of seven tall grey headstones marking the remains of the British airmen killed in the crash.

Monument
The memorial is dedicated to the 15 British and American airmen killed when their planes collided above the town on 18 June 1944 while in the course of an airdrop to aid the Maquis Camille (French Resistance forces).

The tall concrete memorial features two engraved sets of crossed British and American flags, one on either side of wings and a propeller, as well as dark red painted text. There is a black granite plaque mounted on the memorial which lists the names of the 8 American airmen (850^th Bomber Squadron, 801^st Bomber Group "Carpetbaggers") killed at the site in gold leaf text. All text is in French.

Monument Text:

GLOIRE ET RECONNAISSANCE

A NOS AMIS LES AVIATEURS

ANGLAIS ET AMÉRICAINS

ET AU VALLIANT SOLDAT RUSSE

TOMBES GLORIEUSEMENT SUR LE SOL

DE LA COMMUNE DE MARIGNY-L'ÉGLISE

LE 19 JUILLET 1944

POUR NOTRE DÉLIVRANCE

Lt. David A. Michelson	Pilote (Floride)
S/Lt. John P. Shaw, Jr.,	Co-Pilote (New Jersey)
S/Lt. Donald C. Boyde	Navigateur (Pennsylvanie)
S/Lt. Malvin Weiss	Bombardier (New York)
Sgt. Harold Marinoff	Dispatcher (New York)
Sgt. William J. Hovanec	Radio (Ohio)
Sgt./C. Duncan L. Patterson	Mécanicien (New York)
Sgt. Enoch K. Wooten, Jr.	Metrilleur(Caroline du Nord)

English translation:

Glory and Appreciation

To our friends the English and American aviators and the valiant Russian soldier who fell gloriously on the soil of the town of Marigny-l'Eglise on 19 July 44 for our deliverance

Lt. David A. Michelson, Pilot (Florida)

S/Lt. John P. Shaw, Jr., Co-Pilot (New Jersey)

S/Lt. Donald C. Boyde, Navigator (Pennsylvania)

S/Lt. Malvin Weiss, Bombardier (New York)

Sgt. Harold Marinoff, Dispatcher (New York)

Sgt. William J. Hovanec, Radio (Ohio)

Sgt./C. Duncan L. Patterson, Mechanic (New York)

Sgt. Enoch K. Wooten, Jr. Gunner(North Carolina)

Commemorates:

People:

Donald Clark Boyde

William Joseph Hovanec