B-24 (44-4116) American Aviators Memorial Headstone
Details:
In the town cemtery, at the former gravesite of the aviators. Monument
A white inscribed marble headstone.
On August 22nd, 1944 a B-24 (44-41116) of the 824h Bomber Squadron, 484th BG flying out of Torretta Airbase, Italy on a mission to Vienna's shot down and crashed in the vicinity of the village of Rábakecöl, Hungary. (44-41116 (MACR #8395.) Five of the crew were killed and their remains were buried here in the local cemetery. The other crew members became POWs.
After the War the next of kin decided to repatriate the bodies to the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky for private burial with the exception of LT Ruthenberg who is buried in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery in France.
The locals Hungarian townspeople erected a small headstone-like memorial, made of white marble and engraved with the five names, and continue to take care of the empty gravesite.
The KIA included:
2nd Lt. John J Ruthenberg, O-689360, Pilot
S/Sgt. Robert J Gunthorpe, 34602994, Flight Engineer
S/Sgt. Philip W Wright, 37653078, Radio Operator
Sgt. Irving C Woods, 17136468, Tail Gunner
Pvt. Richard A Notarantonio, 31293371, Armorer-Gunner
Monument Text:
Rabakecol lezuhant hos amerikai pilotak emlekere
Approximate translation: Rabakecol remembers its downed American pilots
John J Ruthenberg
Robert J Gunthorpe
Philip W Wright
Irving C Woods
Richard A Notarantonio
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
15th Air Force
484th Bomber Group
824th Bomber Squadron, 484th Bomber Group
United States Air Force
Wars:
WWII