C-47 (42-100954) Crash Memorial
Details:
The plaque is attached to a stone building just at the corner, about top of the door height.
The memorial is an inscribed marble plaque about 3 ft by 3ft held to the wall with inscribed metal frame holders.
Background: The Douglas C-47 Skytrain “Gooney Bird” (42-100954) was assigned to the 16th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Transport Group, 12th Air Force. During the night of February 22/23, 1945, the plane flying from the Rosignano-Airdrome (Livorno), Italy, with an international crew of five Americans and two British (Royal Army Service Corps, 352 General Transport Company) were on a mission to resupply (known as Operation Peedunk) the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) Operation Pee Dee mission led by Captain Les Vanoncini and the Partisan forces he supported. The mission of Operation Pee Dee was to cooperate with the British SOE to assist partisans in preventing passage of German troops retreating north through the Liguria region of Northern Italy. Sometime during the night of 22/23 February, after the air re-supply, the C-47 crashed on the slope of Monte Calenzone killing all seven crew members. (Per Missing Aircraft Report {MACR}12987)
Another monument is located at the crash site near Monte Calenzone. See this website, Site: Zavattarello-Monte Calezone; Memorial Garden (Giardino della Memoria)- C-47 (42 100954) Crash Site Memorial for more on this incident).
The C-47 Crew Members included:
ROBERT E. WALLIN, Pilot, 1LT
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
DONALD R. FAULL, Co-Pilot, 2LT
Angels Camp, California, U.S.A.
LLOYD C. POOLE, Navigator, 1LT
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.
JOHN V. RUPNIK, Crew Chief, SGT
Ironwood, Michigan, U.S.A.
RICHARD J. PERSYK, Radio Operator, SGT
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
DAVID C. SAYNOR, Driver
Great Britain
EDWARD J. FORD, Driver
Great Britain
Monument Text:
The text on the plaque and metal frame reads:
22-23 FEB. 1945
ZAVATTARELLO
MONTE CALENZONE
VOLO USAF-C47-954
(Translation: Airplane USAF C47-954)
ONORE
AI CADUTI
PER LA LIBERTA'
(Translation: Honor to the fallen for Liberty)
USA
1ST LT. LLOYD C. POOLE
1ST LT. ROBERT E. WALLIN
2ND LT. DONALD R. FAULL
SGT. RICHARD J. PERSYK
SGT. JOHN RUPNIK
GB.
DAVID CHARLES SAYNOR
JOHN EDWARD FORD
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
12th Air Force
16th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Transport Group
64th Troop Carrier Group
British Army
Italian Partisans
Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
OSS
OSS- Italian Operational Group
Partisans
SAS (British)
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Italian Campaign
Po Valley
Other images :
