Richard Vaughn DARGIE

Source : Andy

7 February 1921 MASSACHUSETTS 

Parents : Percival C. & Edith E. Chute DARGIE

Siblings : Reginald Norman, Lawrence P, Robert A, Frederick B & Fredrick B 

Source : Andy

 Between Ollières, the woods of Beauvillard and Seillons-Source-d'Argens -

3 km N St-Maximin-la-Ste-Baume

B-24 Liberator - type H-15-FO - s/n 42-52723 Codé-58

Macr : 6894

Mission: #60 - Nîmes (30)

Takeoff Torretta (Italy) - Indicated position page 2 MACR: 20 miles SE Mirabeau
Shot down by fighter 10h50 - Aircraft evacuated almost entirely at 22000 feet

 CEMTERY TEMPORARY of Luynes Cemetery, Aix-En-Provance N°3551

Story of Cemetery Temporary 

Map of Rhône American Cemetery

1st Lieutenant Richard V Dargie was the son of Perry and Edith E. Dargie of 394 Pleasant Street, Malden, Midddlesex County, Massachusetts. Malden is 5 miles due north of Boston.

Lt. Dargie was the co-pilot on B-24 42-52723 piloted by Lt Chester Ray, based out of Torretta, Italy. On 12 Jul 1944 they were on a mission to bomb Nimes, France. Niems is 72 miles northwest of Marseilles. Their last known position at 10:50 am local time was 20 miles southeast of Mirabeau, France. Mirabeau is 40 miles north northeast of Marseilles on the south coast of France. Weather was clear and visibility unlimited (CAVU).

Statement of S/Sgt Thomas E. Lodder: “I saw one of the engines of ship number 58 , Lt Ray and crew, catch on fire. Four chutes from that ship blossomed out immediately afterward. The ship seemed to be under control after the chutes were seen. I did not see the ship crash.”

Statement of S/Sgt Richard A. Jannetta: “After enemy fighter hit this aircraft ship number fifty-eight turned off to the left of the formation and started to go down. I did not see the ship after that.”

Statement of civilian Antoine Fecci: “My name is Antoine Fecci and I live at Saint-Maximin (Var), France. On the 12 July 1944, at about 10 o’clock in the morning, I was supervising work of some workers at my property about three kilometers east of Saint Maximin, when I saw two German pursuit planes attacking a formation of American bombers. There were sixteen American bombers.

Source : Andy

The attack of the German pursuit planes resulted in two American bombers leaving the formation. Immediately, my wife and I saw about fifteen parachutes fall from the planes. Two fell near us, and we ran to the aid of one who gave his name: Lt. Chester A. Ray.

He was seriously wounded, and we took him to our farmhouse to care for and to hide him from the Germans. A month later another aviator was found, well, and told us his name was Sgt. Jerry Rahl, 36406936. One of the two planes continued its course, pointing toward the ground in the direction of Seillons. The other exploded, and its debris was taken by the wind toward Ollieres. We hid the first, Lt. Ray, from the Germans, and before the invasion of France, the underground, on the fifth of August, were able to reach Italy. The second, Sergeant Rahl, joined the American troops after the invasion.

We were told that four other aviators were hidden in the village of Bras, at the Cave Cooperative, that four others were gathered at St. Esteve, that four were taken prisoner by the Germans. We were also told that three are dead as a result of the accident, and that three others departed on foot from the place they had fallen and were hidden" S/Antoine Fecci

Source : Andy

Source : Fold3