Memorial

More information

1st Lt Charles A. Jackson graduated from Wagner High School. He attended the University at Vermillion before enlisted in the Army Air Corps.

Directly over the target, the airplane was hit by flak just inboard the left engine. The plane immediately burst into flames, the fuselage being swept by fire from front to tail. The left wing broke off at the root of the wing and soon after the right wing broke off at the fuselage. The remaining skeleton fusilage disintegrated.

The pilot was catapulted in his seat out of the plane by an explosion and could open his parachute. He was the only survivor and was taken prisoner.

The other six crew members were killed. They were initially buried at the New Eastern Cemetery of Amsterdam on 17 December 1943.

On 29 May 2007 construction work on a housing-project in Aalsmeer was stopped because aircraft parts were found in the ground. Local specialists from airwar museum 'CRASH 1940-1945' were called in and it proved that a part of a 50 Cal. machinegun had a serial-no. that matched with a number in the MACR of 41-31625. They had found the exact spot were this B-26 had crashed and the men had lost their lives. A monument for the crew was erected.

Lt Jackson was buried, presumed being Australian. In February 1946 he was disinterred and recognized as being a member of the U.S. Army. He was evacuated to Ardennes Cemetery of identification.