WWII Airman Identified 80 Years After His Plane Was Shot Down

After 80 long years, the remains of Tech. Sgt. Sanford G. Roy, a World War II airman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, have been identified. Roy was aboard the B-24H Liberator Little Joe during a bombing mission over Brunswick, Germany, on April 8, 1944, when his aircraft was shot down. The discovery offers long-awaited closure for his family and honors his sacrifice.

A Mission Turned Tragic

Tech. Sgt. Roy, a member of the U.S. Army Air Force’s 732nd Bombardment Squadron, and his fellow airmen were part of a larger mission targeting German industrial sites during the spring of 1944. Little Joe was struck by enemy fire and plummeted toward the ground. Witnesses from other planes reported no signs of the crew ejecting before the crash.

After the war, Roy and the eight other crew members were listed as missing. Despite extensive efforts, including post-war investigations by the American Graves Registration Command, the crash site could not be located, and Roy’s name was etched on the Walls of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery.

A Breakthrough Decades Later

In 2015, a significant lead came from the Missing Allied Air Crew Research Team, which alerted the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to a possible crash site near Wistedt, Germany. Interviews with local residents revealed the existence of two crash sites, one of which had not been fully investigated during the war.

DPAA teams excavated the second site, recovering aircraft debris and human remains. Despite initial challenges in identification, further excavations between 2021 and 2023 yielded additional remains and evidence, which were analyzed in the DPAA laboratory.

Identification and Honoring the Fallen

Using a combination of anthropological, dental, and DNA analysis, scientists identified two sets of remains from the crash: Staff Sgt. Ralph L. Mourer and Tech. Sgt. Sanford G. Roy. The discovery brings resolution to a decades-long mystery and acknowledges the bravery of the fallen airmen.

Roy’s surviving relatives have been informed of his identification. In a fitting tribute, his remains will be laid to rest in his hometown on April 8, 2025, marking the 81st anniversary of his loss. His name on the Walls of the Missing now bears a rosette, signifying his identification and return.