Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Remains of Massachusetts pilot who crashed during WWII ID’d

Remains of Massachusetts pilot who crashed during WWII ID'd | iNFOnews.ca
This undated photo released Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency shows U.S. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Burleigh E. Curtis, of Holliston, Mass., who crashed in a World War II dive-bomb attack near Briouze, France, on June 13, 1944. The agency said the crash site was excavated in 2017 and Curtis' personal possessions and possible bones were recovered. His remains were confirmed on Dec. 13, 2018, using anthropological analysis, as well as historical and material evidence. (Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency via AP)

BOSTON – The remains of an airman whose plane crashed during a bombing run in World War II have been identified.

The Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency said Friday that it officially confirmed on Dec. 13 that bones found in France belong to Army Air Forces 1st Lt. Burleigh E. Curtis, of Holliston, Massachusetts.

The agency says the 22-year-old was piloting a P-47D Thunderbolt that crashed during a dive-bomb attack near Briouze, France, on June 13, 1944.

He was not seen bailing out.

A French cabinetmaker who witnessed the crash reportedly buried the remains the next day. Military officials went to recover them in 1947, but none could be found.

A nongovernmental organization, with help from French officials, excavated the site in 2017 and recovered Curtis’ possessions and possible bones.

They were identified using anthropological analysis and other methods.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

iNFOTEL

Related Articles