tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792654918474025710.post6381757485411768433..comments2024-01-12T00:56:56.199+01:00Comments on The Compleat Anglo in the Pays Basque: 223. Memorial for 2nd Lt James F Burch, USAAF Pipéradehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10335267015454274676noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792654918474025710.post-71392587310242270572015-09-04T10:50:32.506+02:002015-09-04T10:50:32.506+02:00At 27 yrs old, Jim was older than the rest of his ...At 27 yrs old, Jim was older than the rest of his crew and unlike many others, he was also married. Jim and Olga had no children. His widow was told little other than that he went missing during the Bidassoa crossing. I've seen correspondence from a close relative and Olga never recovered from this tragedy. She had no information and no means of finding out any details.<br />I managed to track down a distant relative but 70 years on, the story has faded into history.<br />As he was the only pilot lost by Comète during the war, and the fact that the bodies were never found after the Germans had disposed of them, I'm of the view that Jim's passing should be marked at the spot by a memorial. He fought and died for the freedoms that we enjoy today. <br />The nearby village of Biriatou is setting up a riverside trail and one of the key points will be the site where the two men drowned. His long overdue memorial will complete the story. Pipéradehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10335267015454274676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-792654918474025710.post-25636167109171763102015-09-04T10:27:17.784+02:002015-09-04T10:27:17.784+02:00Did Burch have family in The USA, over the years h...Did Burch have family in The USA, over the years have any of them been in contact?<br />LesleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com