Lt. Roy B. Edge

Lt. Davis’ letter, dated September 2, is as follows:

“Dear Mr. Edge:

My name is Ed Davis. Your son Roy, and I have been buddies since the first part of our flying training in June 1942. Ever since then we have flown together in the same outfit and often in the same plane. We have cussed and quarreled and shared everything from our troubles to our paychecks. I loved him better than any brother I have and there are a hundred guys here that will agree with me that there isn’t a finer guy in the air force than Roy. I miss him, Mr. Edge. I know you and your family and his friends’ grief is great.

There is no point in telling you mine, but I just wanted you to know than he made too many friends to count in this army and what he was and what he did will never be forgotten by his comrades. The Englishmen won’t forget him either. They won’t forget the American pilot who gave his life to spare their wives and children. I am enclosing a clipping from an English paper that will explain pretty well what happened. You all may say medals will not bring him back and why on earth didn’t he jump and save himself. I have wondered that myself. He was young and I know he loved life as much as anyone. Yet who are we poor ordinary people to wonder how a truly brave man’s mind works when a great decision like he made presents itself. He decided coldly in a split second whether to save himself or those civilians below. I wonder, Mr. Edge, how many people are produced in a generation who can calmly decide a thing like that provided the occasion presents itself. Not many, I know. I guess you should mix a lot of pride in with your sorrow, sir. You might like to know there was hardly a mark on Roy. He was lying clear of the wreckage.

He died of a head injury about ten minutes after the crash. He was not conscious and of course felt no pain at all from the time he hit. I had the honor of being his burial escort and attending his funeral this afternoon at three o’clock.

He was buried at the American cemetery at Cambridge. The casket was polished hardwood with a nameplate. All covered by a flag. It was, of course, a military funeral. I got the finest flowers to be had in the town. I thought you would want to know the details, sir. If there is any other information you would like, please ask me.”