‘Finding his final resting place’
I received this e-mail on July 1, 2013 from Tony Cadney a committee member in Garveston England who’s towns people created the memorial paying tribute to Pilot Raymond J. Sachtleben and his crew of a B24 Liberator plane which crashed near there village Garveston England, June 4, 1944:
Good Afternoon Bob,
I am presently constructing the 'profile' for 1st Lt Raymond Sachtleben ( ASN 12077929) I have now got to the stage at the end of the profile where I list his decorations; The Purple Heart and Air Medal (awarded posthumously), and what happened with his mortal remains. He along with all of his crew Ray Sachtleben was interred within 15hrs of the crash at the US Military cemetery at Madingley near Cambridge. This cemetery having been readied for losses as a result of the D-Day invasion activities.
Along with eight of those killed in the incident Ray Sachtleben's body was repatriated in 1947/8. From records held I believe his body was returned to New Jersey. I believed his body would have been buried at a cemetery near to his family home, or where his parents thought fit.
Would there be any chance of finding where Raymond is buried in order that I may complete his profile? I have searched on Find-a-Grave.com but with no success, I find this site only produces about 40% success rate, this time I have been unlucky.
I have attached a draft profile of 2nd Lt Vernon Mueller the Co-Pilot to illustrate the format that I normally use.
Sincere regards,
Tony
After receiving this e-mail I wrote back telling them I would investigate the local cemeteries hoping to find Raymond’s resting place. Since Raymond J. Sachtleben lived on, 64 Davis Avenue Hackensack, the first cemetery I looked at on July 2, 2013 was Hackensack cemetery and there were two graves marked differently then any I had seen before. They were next to each other and the first read {Mitilda Corby wife of Louis Sachtleben 1885 to 1953} the second was {Edith Corby wife of Theodore Sachtleben 1879-1931} I have no idea the relation if any to Raymond’s family. The obvious step to someone from Hackensack like me is to go to the cemetery next to the Hackensack cemetery, which is Saint Joseph’s Cemetery and they had one Mary D. Sachtleben who died at 3 months old on March 18, 1909 and I have no idea the relation if any to Raymond and his family.
I don’t know why but I decided on the way home from church on Sunday June 7, 2013 to ask someone in the office of the Washington Memorial Park in Paramus if they could give me the location of Raymond J. Sachtleben. I went to the office but the door was locked, there was a security guard inside and he unlocked the door I just asked him for the location not knowing if Raymond was buried there or not. After only a short time of maybe ten minutes at most he gave me the location but said he was unable to show me but gave me land markers and graves around Raymond J. Sachtleben to look for. Needless to say I was very excited but not sure if he just got someone buried with his families name or it was actually Raymond J. Sachtleben’s grave because I could not talk to the man because he was busy and moved off quickly after giving me the location printout. Washington Cemetery is a big cemetery and even when you know where you are going it can be difficult to find a grave but I ventured on hoping for the best. I walked around the area where I thought the grave was but to no avail. Finally after about an hour it was hot that Sunday and I really had felt I gave it my best shot and I had found a grave marked Sachtleben but again I had no idea if they had any connection to Raymond J. Sachtleben. I decided after taking off my suit shirt, it really was hot 95, I would pace off from a very large blue spruce tree to the grave with Sachtleben named on it and then when I came back I would have a general idea where to look again. When I got to the spruce tree I looked down and there below my feet was Raymond J. Sachtleben’s grave all grown over but in great shape. It brought tears to my eyes as I thought of how Raymond J. Sachtleben graduated from the school I went to in 1936 with my cousin’s and uncles and then June 4, 1944 he dies in the terrible plane crash with his 10 crew members and two firemen die from the exploding bombs that were on board. Then Raymond’s family having the opportunity to bring his body back to the states do just that. After waiting three possibly four years 1947-1948, Raymond J. Sachtleben’s remains come home to his family. I could not imagine, as a parent, what that would be like to wait like that never quite knowing if the remains will truly be returned. His father Albert L. Sachtleben and Emma Sachtleben bury their son in a relatively new cemetery in Paramus established in 1939, with a veteran authorized plaque placed on top.
Raymond J. Sachtleben had to be one of the very first, World War II veterans buried in this cemetery. Not many serviceman who died overseas during the war had there bodies returned and most serviceman were in the prime of life so unless some illness or tragedy beset them from 1945 to 1948 the veterans of World War II were not ready to Rest In Peace yet. In 1967, Albert L. Sachtleben 1895 to 1967 is laid to rest in a grave next to his son. Then in 1979 Emma 1894 to 1979 is laid to rest next to her son and her husband. At this point it seemed to end the story as I walked away from the graves of Raymond J. Sachtleben and his parents Albert and Emma. I planned on going back the next day Monday and trimming around the graves so I could send the photo’s to the people in England who have really been the heart and sole behind my motivation to find out about Raymond Sachtleben.
After work on Monday July 8, 2013, I went to the cemetery and trimmed the graves and as I finished I decided to go to the office and ask the curator there if he new of a Dorothy Sachtleben Raymond’s sister or anyone who may be connected to the family. Tony Cadney and Ken Hamer from Garveston England were very interested in finding any relatives so they could be told about the memorial and what had happened that fateful day so I thought I would inquire. The man from the cemetery looked at me and said “McElroy” I replied “no I said Sachtleben” the man replied Dorothy his sister is buried there in the grave behind their parents and her name when she passed away was McElroy. Dorothy A. McElroy 1921 to 1998 and her husband Raymond W. McElroy 1918 to 2006 had both passed away a son Barry R. McElroy 1941 to 2004 was also buried in the grave and so it seemed the situation was closed. Then I asked before leaving and also having told the curator the story I peaked his interest also and I asked “who did the funeral arrangements for the father in 2006?” The curator said wait here and he went in the back and looked at the records and said “you can check with Trinka funeral home in Maywood they arranged the funeral.” On Tuesday
July 9, 2013, after work I decided to go to Trinka Funeral home and see if I could find any information on a family member who may have arranged the funeral and may know or even care to know what had happened that fateful day? The funeral director after hearing the story and seeing how much I new about the situation, gave me the women’s name who arranged the funeral. The funeral director said “I think she will want to hear from you and it may bring closure to her and the family you might be surprised.” I did not know what to expect because sometimes people are very grateful but other times they are so far removed from the events it means little to them. I finally called the number to a Linda Reed. She answered the phone and I told her who I was and what I was calling about as quickly and to the point as possible so she would not hang up and she didn’t. She was the daughter of Dorothy (Sachtleben) McElroy and she was 66 years old she told me. She was grateful to the people in Garveston England for having made the memorial and she was grateful for the Hackensack web site also. Linda Reed told me she remembered her grandmother having spent so much time searching old articles and films looking for some record of the crash Raymond had been in always wanting to know, but never really finding out where or how what happened and now she (Linda Reed) Emma Sachtleben’s granddaughter could see what her grandmother so yearned to see only as a mother could how her son met his fate. As these fine people in Garveston England paid tribute to
Raymond J. Sachtleben and his crew and the two firemen who perished, let us also never forget their sacrifice.
Click here to view grave photos of Raymond J. Sachtleben and his family.
Written by:
Bob Meli
July 11, 2013 |