310thBG,379thBS, Sgt Chester Barton's Brother, ALSO KIA..Lt Lester Barton, 322nd BG /Barton Photo

Chester's brother, 1st Lt Lester Barton, Pilot B 26's "Great Squadron Tragedy/ 18 Mar'45 over Beauvais France, 451st BS

QUOTE from Eyewitness; Lt John W Templeton was flying as engineer /gunner to bomb the Metzger Marshalling yards. Just after take-off on the flight on the mission and in the process of assembling the 6 ships in the air, the lead ship was hit by the another ship. It exploded and this explosion knocked a 3rd ship out of the air. All these crashed from 1100 feet. There was only one survivor, Lt Cordes who was blown through the ship, pulled his ripcord and landed safely. The others were killed instantly, either in the explosion or in the air or in the crash into the ground. Sgt Templeton was a ? (crewmember) of one of these ill-fated planes." Information from Neice, Judy Holland, researched and entered by Barbi Ennis Connolly, 57th Bomb Wing Researcher PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com

Lester E Barton