This is the aircraft, possibly a transport, that crashed in a minefield near where my grandfather was positioned.  He pulled several people fro the craft- I don't know how many.  I do know he received the Soldiers medal since he was not under fire.

I would appreciate any ideas about this scenario - where this was (France), who was in the plane, how many, where they were heading.  Maybe it was a glider.

My theory is that my grandfather was AWOL when he rescued some of these guys.  Iy was in the middle of nowhere by the looks of it.  

This photo is the aftermath.

https://ibb.co/Q9kwj5b

B-26 Marauder

The twin engine, 4 blade prop and oil cooler air intake on top of the engine cowling are the unique identifiers:

Martin B-26 Marauder.  

Beat ...   Anyway Hot Ship to fly.  Many accidents in the States Training, but lowest combat loss rate in E.T.O. even though flying dangerous missions (Medium altitude bombardment means very accurate flak of all sorts coming up)

Flak Bait! is in the National Air & Space Museum.  She flew over 206 operational missions and is more or less a collection of patches in the general shape of a B-26

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/martin-b-26b-25-ma-marauder-flak-bait/nasm_A19600297000

Damn, you guys are good!

Wow thanks guys.

So probably this was taken down in France by flak.  Was it used as a transport, or as a gunship?  Im trying to figure out how many people woudl have been inside to correspond to my Grandfathers service records (forthcoming I hope).

It was/is a medium bomber, typically operating at lower altitudes than the B-17 was. It carried a crew of 7:

From  https://www.historynet.com/b-26b-marauder-american-bomber-in-world-war-ii.htm

"The B-26B carried a crew of seven. The pilot and co-pilot sat side by side in armored seats behind an armored bulkhead. The navigator, who also served as the radio operator, worked out of a small compartment behind the pilots. The bombardier sat behind a plexiglass nose cone and  when not preparing to drop the B-26's bombload  operated a .50-caliber machine gun. Three gunners stationed in the rear of the bomber rounded out the crew.".

"The Ninth Air Force ... assumed the role of providing tactical air support for the Allied invasion of Europe. Flak-Bait and the 322nd became a part of the Ninth Air Force and began to strike tactical targets such as bridges, railroad yards and coastal artillery emplacements."

This aligns because I know that one of the men was pinned by the 50-caliber machine gun in the crash, and may have been partially amputated.  In my memory he was cut in half but that doesn't seem possible.

Im trying to find out if he got all 7 guys out.  Soldiers medal is pretty distinguished so I'm guessing he got the bulk of the guys out.

My biggest question is where the fuck was he that he saw a bomber go down?  I'm pretty sure he was going AWOL because of a bee sting and they were panning on amputating his arm over it.

Where in France could you possibly place this?

I'd say Remulac..... but since this isn't GD, I've no idea.

If there was a date on the photo, it'd be a starting point.

If you have the citation for Dad's Soldier medal, it'd have (very likely) that date, and location too.

Waiting on the discharge / records (if I get them).  The medal is actually blank - probbaly given in haste.  My dipshit brother has the renewed version of the medal with the name and maybe date.

Yep a "hot" ship to fly.  Learning to fly it however lead to the phrase, "One a day in Tampa Bay".  Interestingly when the Marauder was removed from service the A-26 Invader was renamed the B-26 Invader.

Weeks later:  Remulac.  Haha.