Saturday May 27, 1944. During the allied air operations paned to destroy the communication complexes of the occupant in the south of France, the 3 groups of B-24 Liberator of the 49th Bomber Wing from the 15th Air Force (451st, 461st and 484th BG) had the role of destroying the airfield of Salon de Provence, located in the south of the Rhone's valley.
If several four-engined planes of the 3 bombardment groups concerned will be more or less damaged by the shootings of German defenses during all the overflight of the French territory, only one will be shot down before its arrival on the target, that of S/Lt Gerald J Maroney.
During the approach of the Key-Point, that was Antibes's cape, at the east of Cannes, that Flak shoot the 461st BG.
B-24 # 42-52399, called Flak Finder by its crew, is mortally hit under its right wing, two engines on fire.
The pilot immediatly releases the bombs at sea, and takes a northern direction, way to neutral Switzerland. But he is informed by the radio-operator Donald E Ellis, that the flames reach the tail of the plane.
Flying over the pre-Alps now, the order to evacuate is given. The ten men will succeed in parachuting, and hit the ground alive.
Waist machine gunner Leon Zinner will be wounded at his reception (broken leg) and will be made captive just like 4 others of his companions.
Their plane, crashed at the top of the mountain of the peak of Aiglo, village of Le Mas (north of Thorenc), in a big fire.
The 5 remaining aviators will be hidden by local families, then recovered by the US troops having taken part in the D-Day of Provence. Thereafter they will leave Europe for the USA on September 11, 1944.
As for the 5 prisoners, since prisoners in Germany, they will be released only at the end of April 1945 by the army of the General Patton.
May 27, 1992, came back to the spot of the crash landing of B-24 Flak Finder, sgt Owen B Streeper and Alvin L Raines.
Now, a monument recalling this act of war was raised up at the col of Bleyne, on the road of the peak of Aiglo.
We thank the comunes of : Thorenc, Le Mas, St Auban, Gréolières and Andon for their invaluable and effective participation.
