B-24 “Miss Fortune” (42-73138) Memorial
Details:
In the town center at the crossroads, next to the town war monument in a fenced enclosure.
On February 22, 1944, B-24 “Miss Fortune” (42-73138), of the 343rd Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group, “The Pyramiders”, 47th Bomb Wing, 15th Air Force was flying out of Fortunte Cesare (Lecce), Italy was on a Bombing mission to Regensburg, Germany. The targets during the “Big Week” of February 1944 were enemy aircraft production facilities. After bombing the target, the formation was attacked by over a dozen enemy aircraft and was under severe anti-aircraft fire. “Miss Fortune” was hit and right wing badly damaged. The planed crashed on Dubec Hill near Nepomuk, in the present day Czech Republic. (Reference Missing Aircraft Report {MACR} 2726)
All of the crew, except for the Right Waist Gunner T/SGT Raymond Noury, perished in the crash. Noury was able to parachute out landing in soft snow with a damaged chute; he was taken prisoner for the rest of the war which he spent in Luft Stalag IV in 4 Gross-Tychow.
There is memorial at the crash site on Dubec Hill (Nepomuk) and in the center of the Village of Prádlo remember the crew. A cenotaph in the Prádlo cemetery remembers were the crew was buried until repatriated. A museum in Nepomuk, Czech Republic has a display regarding “Miss Fortune”.
See this website sites Pradlo; Pradolo-Nepomuck; and Nepomuk for more on the “Miss Fortune” memorials.
The Crew of “Miss Fortune” included:
KIA:
1st Lt. George M. “Skipper” Goddard, Jr, Pilot
1st Lt. Haig “Knady” Kandarian, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. Joseph F Altemus, Navigator
1st Lt. Charles F Spickard, Jr, Bombardier
TSgt. Oscar W Houser, Engineer
SSgt. Harold C Carter, Armorer-Ball Turret Gunner
SSgt. John A. “Goldy” Goldbach, Left Waist Gunner
SSgt. Roy E Hughes, Top Turret Gunner
SSgt. Wayneworth E. “lord Nelson” Nelson, Tail Gunner
SSgt. Rexford H. Rhodes, Nose Gunner
And the Survivor:
T/SGT Raymond A. Noury, Right Waist Gunner
The crew's sacrifice for freedom is told in in the book "Miss Fortune's Last Mission" by Bill Boyce and John H. Torrison (2015).
The fallen crew members were interred together on June 16, 1950, Jefferson Barracks St. Louis,MO in SECTION 84 SITE 148.
Monument Text:
The text on the monument is written in Czech and reads:
Postaveno k uctění památky
amerických letců
15.letecké armády USA,
kteří tragicky zahynuli 22.února 1944
po leteckém souboji s německým protivníkem
v katastru obce Prádlo – Dubeč.
1. pilot poručík GEORG M.GODDARD
2. pilot poručík HAIG KANDARIAN
navigátor poručík JOSEPH FREDERICK ALTEMUS
bombometčík PORUČÍK CHARLES FAINE SPICKARD
střelec seržant OSCAR WILLIAM HOUSER
radiooperátor serž. WAYNESWORTH EVANSON NELSON
střelec seržant HEROLD CLEVURN CARTER
střelec seržant ROY ELTON HUGHES
střelec seržant JOHN ALOYSIUS GOLDBACH
Havárii letounu B-24J LITERÁTOR přežil
střelec seržant RAYMOND A.NOURY
Věnují občané obce PRÁDLO a NOVOTNÍKY
Renovováno roku: 1997
The Translation is:
Built to honor the monument
American pilots
15th US Air Force,
who tragically died on February 22, 1944
after an air battle with a German opponent
in the cadastre of the village Prádlo - Dubeč.
Pilot Lieutenant GEORG M.GODDARD
Co-Pilot Lieutenant HAIG KANDARIAN
Navigator Lieutenant JOSEPH FREDERICK ALTEMUS
Bombardier Lieutenant CHARLES FAINE SPICKARD
Gunner Sergeant OSCAR WILLIAM HOUSER
Radio Operator Sergeant WAYNESWORTH EVANSON NELSON
Gunner Sergeant HEROLD CLEVURN CARTER
Gunner Sergeant ROY ELTON HUGHES
Gunner Sergeant JOHN ALOYSIUS GOLDBACH
One Crewmember survived the crash of the B-24J aircraft
Gunner Sergeant RAYMOND A.NOURY
The Citizens of the of the village to PRÁDLO and NOVOTNÍKY dedicate this memorial.
Commemorates:
People:
George Marvin “Skipper” Jr. Goddard
John Aloysius “Goldy” Goldbach
Wayneworth Evenson “Lord Nelson” Nelson
Units:
15th Air Force
343rd Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group
47th Bomber Wing
98th Bomber Group
United States Air Force
Wars:
WWII
Other images :
