Passionate Witch II B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32082: a Virtual Cemetery

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A Virtual Cemetery created by Julie Blichmann

Passionate Witch II B-17 Flying Fortress #42-32082

The crew of the Passionate Witch & Passionate Witch II.The crew received a second aircraft and continued flying missions. On March 20, 1944, they were scheduled to participate in a raid on Chateaudun, France. Just prior to bomb release, the aircraft was engaged by heavy flak. A direct hit by flak in #4 fuel tank ignited a huge fire. The left wing broke off, the aircraft went into a tight spin, and crashed 2 kilometers south of Orleans, France.Four of the crew managed to bail out before the explosion and crash, but were captured by the Germans. One of these was SSgt McLaughlin. With a broken leg, a broken arm, and spitting blood from possible internal wounds, he was carried to the Orleans hospital. He died of his wounds on March 29, 1944.All of the bodies recovered from the wreckage and vicinity were buried in Orleans, but later moved to a temporary American cemetery located at Solers, France. Sometime later, the cemetery was closed and all bodies removed. No known graves for any of the crew exist. American Battlefield Commission cemetery records do not contain any reference to these persons, and no U.S. graves have been located.Source:www.dvrbs.com/Monuments/haddenheights/HaddenHeightsww2-JohnCMcLauglin.htm