B-24H Liberator 42-94841 of the 857th Bombardment Squadron, 492nd Bombardment Group, USAAF Crashed on Twizle Head Moss, Holmfirth, on the 9th October 1944
Elmer D. Pitsenbarger | 1st Lieutenant | Pilot | Killed |
James D. Nendel | 2nd Lieutenant | Co-pilot | Killed |
Jack M. Bliss | Flight Officer | Navigator | Killed |
Frank Cser | Flight Officer | Bombardier | Killed |
Presley E. Farris | Technical Sergeant | Engineer | Killed |
Zoe W. Zwinge | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | Killed |
Frank A. Villelli | Technical Sergeant | Gunner (Tail) | Killed |
Curtis Anderson | Staff Sergeant | Gunner (Waist) | Injured |
Charles T. Lowbald | Corporal | Passenger | Killed |
Clarence S. Watson | Corporal | Passenger | Killed (Missing) |
The crew were on a cross country training flight from their home station at Harrington, near Kettering. The route was to have been Base – Goole – Huddersfield – Stafford – Builth Wells – Worcester – Banbury – Base. It was flown that day by another crew who reported very poor visibility in the area around where 42-94841 crashed.
After arriving in the Huddersfield area the 1st Lt Pitsenbarger turned the aircraft towards Stafford, it had drifted by half a mile to the west but was otherwise on course. While flying at 1,600ft the aircraft struck the northern edge of Twizle Head Moss above Holmfirth, the aircraft disintegrated over a short distance and caught fire. The centre section was completely gutted by the fire, and such was the severity of the blaze that Cpl Clarence Watson who was flying as a passenger was never found.
S/Sgt Curtis Anderson had been thrown out of the aircraft when it crashed, and although very badly injured survived.

Back Row (L-R): Jack M. Bliss, Frank Cser, Elmer D. Pitsenbarger and James D. Nendel
Front Row (L-R): Zoe W. Zwinge, Presley E. Farris, Charles Anderson, C. McQuade (not in crash), Frank A. Villelli and H. Stee (not in crash)
Image: Ron Collier via David Earl

In this photo the majority of the light colour is frost.



A number of the crew were buried at Cambridge American Cemetery, Cpl Watson is commemorated on the Tablets of the Missing, it was reported some time ago that his remains were discovered during the salvage operation, but his status as missing was confirmed by the US Department of Defence’s Defence Prisoner of War / Missing Personnel Office. As such this site is one of the few, true, war graves on high ground in the UK.