778. bombardovací peruť (těžká) [1943-1945]

Memorial to the american airmen near the village of Zohor (48°17'40.860"N 16°57'34.920"E).

John C. Fassnacht and Merton W. Haigh belonged to the crew of the machine Consolidated B-24J-15-FO Liberator 42-51964 "Old Brown Nose" (White And) from the 778. bomber squadron.

17. October 1944 took off from the base Pantanella in Italy for a raid on the Vienna. During a raid is a machine antiaircraft fire works hit. The plane is in flames. The bottom gunner S/Sgt Merton W. Haigh's dying in the tower. The crew leaves the plane. Pilot 2nd Lt. John C. Fassnacht leaving the plane as the last and his parachute with enough time to open. Upon impact on the ground dying in the local part of the village Zohor Piesky. Both the dead are local buried at the local cemetery.In October 1946 are both bodies exhumed and deposited at the american military cemetery in St. Avold in France.
The second pilot, 2nd Lt. John W. Lindsay, navigator 2nd Lt. Richard J. Witt, the top gunner/engineer T/Sgt. John R. Lonsdorf, left gunner S/Sgt. John Krogstadt, radio operator/right gunner T/Sgt. Lyndle To. Clark, the front gunner S/Sgt. James T. Hutchinson and tail gunner S/Sgt. Raymond L. Hadden has successfully left the machine, have been captured and in German camps survived the end of the war. The fate of the bomber 2nd Lt. Robert F. Cunningham is unknown. According to the testimony left the machine through the bomb bay doors, and then he wasn't seen (his nephew got from the government information about his funeral in the american military cemetery in Belgium, without any further details).

The monument was 11. November 1995, revealed at the site of the finding of the body of 2nd Lt. John C. Fassnachta. Has the shape of a zlomenéné GTC and it is to him set the table from the original grave of the two Americans, whom he saved and hid one of the local.

The details of the machine Consolidated B-24J-15-FO Liberator 42-51964 "Old Brown Nose" (White And):

4 x engine Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp

the serial numbers

a) CP-327882
b) CP-327871
c) CP-327813
d) CP-327881


10 mm x 12.7 mm machine gun Colt-Browning M2 .50 cal

the serial numbers

bow (l) 1759037
bow (p) 1759024
the top of the tower (l) 1758649
top of the tower of babel (p) 1340876
the lower tower (l) 1317004
the lower tower (p) 1317005
trupový (l) 1757600
trupový (p) 1758737
tail (l) 1758659
tail (p) 1758904

crew:
pilot 2nd Lt. John C. Fassnacht KIA
the second pilot, 2nd Lt. John W. Lindsay POW
navigator 2nd Lt. Richard J. Witt POW
bombardier 2nd Lt. Robert F. Cunningham KLD
technician/gunner (top turret) T/Sgt. John R. Lonsdorf POW
shooter (hull, left) S/Sgt. John Krogstadt POW
radio operator / gunner (hull right) T/Sgt. Lyndle To. Clark POW
sagittarius (bow) S/Sgt. James T. Hutchinson POW
shooter (bottom of tower) S/Sgt. Merton W. Haigh KIA
shooter (croup) S/Sgt. Raymond L. Hadden POW

Source:
MACR 9195 (http://www.zplace2b.com/464th/flakmacr.htm)
http://www.zplace2b.com/464th/jbabincak.htm
watchdogwire.com
forum.armyairforces.com
a personal visit to the place.