Friendly fire WWII

[BABIN]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi guys

I hope one of our French experts may be able to help me with this query:

On 5/8/44 a Boston of 342 Sqn crashed at Perrieres near Falise after being hit by flak. An article in ICARE No.92 (pages 122-124) implies that a Mosquito strafed the wreck, either deliberately or in error for a German machine. The French crew (Pierre, Cornement, Dumont and Ricardou) were, I believe, killed.
Can anyone help even perhaps with a translation?

Cheers
Brian

Hello Brian,

Regarding the fate of the crew of this Boston (which was part of the "Lorraine" French Sqdn) :

- S/C Louis RICARDOU (gunner) : killed in the crash
- S/C Hubert CORNEMENT (navigator) : badly wounded in the crash ; lying on the ground, close to the wreck, he was murdered by the SS (probably SS from the 12nd Hitlerjungend) on the morning of 5th of August
- Adj. François DUMONT (W/O) : only groggy in the crash, but slightly wounded on 5th of August ... by the straffing of a Mosquito on the wreck ; he could join the American lines on 17th of August.
- S/C Pierre PIERRE (pilot) : seriously wounded in the crash, he could join the American lines on 15th of August.

I extracted this info from the French magazine "ICARE" n° 176.

Au revoir

Pierre