European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday november 28, 1994 City still by Nancy u Torner . Bureau Norwich England Michael quirk was Only 12 when his family was notified that his big brother had died in plane crash in England. Fifty years later he journeyed to eng land from his Home in Indiana to face for the first time the evidence of his loss. Quirk 63, and his wife Cindy 54, at tended an outdoor memorial service on thanksgiving Day in Norwich about 60 Miles Northeast of London. The service honoured quirk s brother Don p. Quirk and eight other american servicemen who died nov. 24,1944, when their b-24 Liberator bomber crashed in the City during a world War ii training Mission. The service was held before a plaque in Freeman Square that was erected in 1945 to Honor the aircraft s Crew. The stars and stripes Page 3  y a � re went to All this trouble Michael quid said.  The plaque dedicated to the nine Crew men from the 753rd so 458th bomb group 2nd bombardment dry of the . Army air forces reads the Pilot of the bomber As his last act avoided crashing on this and surrounding cottages thus preventing the possible loss of civilian  the plaque originally was placed on the Wall of a cottage near the crash site but was moved to the Wall of an apartment building about two blocks away when the cottage was razed said Christine armes a local res ident who helped organize the memorial service. ,. -.,. Putting the plaque on dwelling Walls demonstrates the loss of life that could have occurred had the aircrew abandoned the plane and failed to steer the aircraft away from City Homes she said. A list of the bomber s crewmen was provided to the stars and stripes by a former member of the Squadron who did not participate in the ill fated training Mission. The plaque inadvertently lists staff sgt. Don quirk As staff sgt. John p. Quirk. According to the sex member the other crewmen on the b-24 were 2nd it. Ralph j. Dooley Pilot Pennsylvania 2nd it. Arthurc. Akin Pilot Virginia 2nd it. Paul e. Gorman navigator new York staff sgt. John j. Jones Texas staff sgt. John a. Phillips new York staff sgt. Paul a. Wadsworth Texas staff sgt. Oscar b. Nel son Washington state and staff sgt. Ralph on Bergen Colorado. These men epitomize and symbolize what the american Serviceman has always been about said it. Col. Lee m. Thomp son senior chaplain at Raf Mildenhall who attended the service. We give our lives for the Freedom of everybody anytime  Thompson said it was fitting that the 50thanniversary of the crash fell on thanksgiving because the Holiday countered  Ness. Sometimes it takes a lot of self sacrifice to care for and look after other people As Crew members of the b-24 apparently did Thompson said. Sacrifice always has its re wards even though we May not always see them  Thompson added the fact that 50 years later the town remembers this says a lot about who these people  originally Norwich s City Council planned to hold the memorial service for local residents Only. Armes was granted permission however to try to locate surviving relatives of the crash victims and invite them to the service. Relatives of six of the victims finally were located after weeks of writing letters and making phone Calls to the states armes said. The quirks were the Only next of Kin who were financially Able and Well enough to make the trip. It was such a tonic for me armes said. They . Relatives cried with Joy to think that we even  armes who was a teen Ager when the plane went Down said she and other Resi dents still remember the event vividly. I for aircrew s heroics Cindy and Michael quirk of Indiana look Over a plaque dedicated to his brother s world War ii bomber Crew in Norwich England is Oak Eollo of. _. Is Dave Didlo Christine armes a local resident helped organize the Norwich memorial service. Don p. Quirk there was a terrible storm that Day she said and one of the plane s engines appeared to be on fire. The aircraft made one pass Over the City attempting unsuccessfully to land at its nearby base Raf Horsham St. Faith. On its second pass Over the City the plane struck the top of St. Philips Church shearing off one of the wings. It was losing height All the time armes said. Many Many people saw the Pilot struggling with the  the Crew is credited with staying with the plane and steering it to a nearby Field rather than abandoning it Over a populated area armes said. The plane crashed upside Down in the Field. He. The Pilot saved hundreds of lives armes said. Not one of them Crew Mem Bers got  quirk said he never heard most of the de tails about the crash until he arrived in eng land for the memorial. Quirk began to explain that after the crash the . Government sent a taxicab this family s Home to deliver a Telegram of condolence. Cindy quirk had to finish the Story because her husband became too Dis a b-24 Liberator such As the one flown by Don quirk s Crew lands in England in 1943. Traught to speak. We the quirks could talk about this before the memorial service without so much emotion she said. She said the . Military had offered the quirk family Only sketchy and impersonal information about the crash. Since coming to England she said a More vivid picture of the death had been painted making it More real. Cindy quirk said the death was hard on her husband who had not seen his brother for about two years when the news of his sibling s death arrived. She said her Hus band had thought the world of his brother. Don quirk who was 24 when he died was buried in England at the american Mil itary cemetery at Madingley and the quirks planned to visit the grave for the first time. Michael quirk said his brother was interred in England because dad warlike i am and he could t handle  however quirk said meeting people who witnessed the crash along with seeing the grave the. Memorial and his brother former air base is going to help