Over Brussels, Belgium, on the way home from bombing Frankfurt, Germany, Chesmore's B-17 was hit by flak, which took out engines one and two. All of the crew but Chesmore and the copilot, 2 Lt. Leroy J. Teachey, were able to bail out. Teachey was preparing to leave when the aircraft exploded over the village of Moerzeke Kastel.

Teachey fell on the street, his chute unopened. He was buried at Enemy Cemetery, Antwerpen Deurne.

Chesmore rode the plane down. His body was found by a local man, Alois Van Duysen, who built this memorial on the spot. Chesmore was buried in New Village Cemetary at Moerzeke. In 1945 his body moved to Ardennes Military Cemetary, twelve miles SW of Liege.

Of the rest of Chesmore's crew, two were wounded. Three were able to evade and five became POWs.

Last updated 12-1-01 2001 est (0100 z)