Royce Virgil Colby
MilitaryMIlitary records
Object Number - Document 42017 - James K Wenzel and crew at the end of B-24 Operational Combat Training training (OTU) in July, 1943 in Casper, Wyoming
On 26 November 1944 Misburg mission, plane destroyed by German AF. Bailed out just over lines in Belgium and landed in the village of Leefdaal just recaptured previous day. Rescued by monks and returned to base in England. (All but one crew member survived) Completed tour of 27 missions. Was proud to serve. A wonderful experience, but would not desire to do it again.
Royce Colby returned to the crash site in Leefdaal, Belgium on 20 May 2010 for commemoration of a memorial in honor of his crew and the crash. Memorial was organized by the historical group Patton Drivers Leuven Centraal in association with other historical societies and municipalities local to Leefdaal, Belgium. Royce regarded the opportunity to attend this event as one of his fondest memories and highlights of his life.
ETO/ GC/ Unit Citation/ PH/ AM w/ 3 Oak Leaf Cluster
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
- Unit: 491st Bomb Group 854th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 26 November 1944
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Terril, Iowa | 21 March 1924 | |
|
Died |
Raleigh, NC, USA | 21 July 2016 |
Revisions
Made minor grammar edits.
Added name of village in Belgium where the plane crashed.
Added new information section describing return to crash site and commemoration of a war memorial.
A complete history of the memorial in Leefdaal, Belgium may be viewed on the organizer's website at https://www.leuvencentraal.com/ (Website requires translation into English)
Information about the war memorial and Royce Colby's part in its commemoration was passed down to me through oral family history as a relative of his: late wife Jeanette Colby(née Fladland), sister-in-law Elizabeth Finberg(née Fladland), and late sister-in-law Joanne Holland(née Fladland).
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / self & p234 in the book SECOND AIR DIVISION edited by Randy Baumgardner, D790.A2S45