Dergneau - Belgium - Ceremony B-24 Pale-Ale Bomber 2015

 

On the 25th July 2015 a ceremony was held in commemoration of the Gordon Crew 786th Sq 466th Bomb Group (H) which crashed with the B-24 "Pale Ale" on February 20, 1945.

 

The plane crashed because the control cables snapped which resulted in a downward spiral. The pilot, 2nd Lt. Robert Gordon, tried to help two of his crew, 2nd Lt. Ferdinand M. Kjar, the navigator and Sgt. Harold H. Hendrickson, nose gunner, to get out of the plane but didn't succeed. All three were killed in action. The pilot is still Missing in Action as his body was never recovered. The plane exploded as it touched the ground due to its full bombs load still aboard.