B-24 Crew Memorial Plaque - Cimer, CZ
Posted by: haggaeus
N 49° 03.604 E 015° 04.381
33U E 505334 N 5434136
A plaque at the local church in memory of crew of B-24 bomber shot down above Cimer village.
Waymark Code: WMCNR6
Location: Jihočeský kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 09/26/2011
Views: 63
At the plaque there is a dedication in Czech:
Osadce letounu B-24 Liberator "Little Gismo II" z 15. USAF 776. peruti 464 BG, sestrelene nad Cimeri 24. srpna 1944 behem bitvy nad Jindrichohradeckem.
(To the crew of B-24 Liberator "Little Gismo II" of 15th USAF, 776th squadron, 464 BG, shot down above Cimer on 24th August 1944 during the battle above Jindrichuv Hradec region)
and a list of eight airmen:
1/Lt Virgil A. Leverett
1/Lt Robert L. Weinberg
T/Sgt Elton W. Ankney
S/Sgt Raymond A. Bloxsom
T/Sgt Richard C. Hinkley (+)
1/Lt Clifton W. Selby
1/Lt Charles R. Skinner
Sgt Russel Bucher
S/Sgt Thomas R. Monacelli
T/Sgt Peter Suchar (+)
and a slogan "Per ardua ad astra" at bottom (not sure why it is here -it is a motto of British Royal Air force).
The bomber was shot down when returning from a raid over Eastern Bohemia to its base in Pantanella, Italy. Two members of the crew died in the crash (marked with a cross on the plaque). See more information about the air battle at the link below.
The plaque is mounted on the outer side wall of the church, left from the entrance.
Source:
Jiri Sasek: The 464th Bomb Group in WWII