Menu
  • Abous us
  • Search database
  • Resources
  • Donate
  • Faq

 

B-24 “Miss Fortune” (42-73138) Crash Site Memorial

<< Back to Pradlo-Nepomuk (Dubec Hill)

Details:

On Dubec Hill, off the road in a wooded area.

Monument

 

The memorial includes an engraved stone about 5 feet high; 9 stones representing each of the crew that died; and a highly polished titled obelisk.

 

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 Fortunate 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, during "Operation Argument". 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.

 

Another Bomber of the 98th Bomber Group crashed in Czechia and is remembered at Site Bukovec, Memorial: B-24 (42-64483) Memorial - 98th Bomber Group

 

 

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 "tilted obelisk" Memorial was dedicated on May 3, 2009 by World War II veteran Raymond A. Noury, the only crew member who survived the crash, and he was made an honorary citizen of the town of Nepomuk and the village of Prádlo

 

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 UCTNÍ PAMÁTKY AMERICKÝCH LETC

15.LETECKÉ ARMÁDY USA, KTEÍ V TCHTO MÍSTECH

TRAGICKY ZAHYNULI 22.ÚNORA 1944 PO LETECKÉM

SOUBOJI S NMECKÝM PROTIVNÍKEM.

 

1.PILOT PORUÍK GEORG M. GODDARD

2.PILOT PORUÍK HAIG KANDARIAN

NAVIGÁTOR PORUÍK JOSEPH FREDERICK ALTEMUS

BOMBOMETÍK PORUÍK CHARLES FAYNE SPICKARD

STELEC SERANT OSCAR WILLIAM HOUSER

STELEC SERANT REXFORD HARWELL RHODES

RADIOOPERÁTOR SERANT WAYNEWORTH EVANSON NELSON

STELEC SERANT HAROLD CLEVURN CARTER

STELEC SERANT ROY ELTON HUGHES

STELEC SERANT JOHN ALOYSIUS GOLDBACH

 

HAVÁRII LETOUNU B-24J LIBERATOR PEIL STELEC

SERANT RAYMOND A.NOURY

 

VNUJÍ OBANÉ NEPOMUCKA 22.2.1997

 

 

The translation is:

 

BUILT TO honor the memory of American Air Crew

15 th US AIR Force, WHICH IN THIS PLACE

TRAGICALLY DIED ON FEBRUARY 22, 1944 AFTER AIR

Combat with a German opponent.

 

PILOT LIEUTENANT GEORG M. GODDARD

CO-PILOT LIEUTENANT HAIG KANDARIAN

NAVIGATOR LIEUTENANT JOSEPH FREDERICK ALTEMUS

BOMBADIER LIEUTENANT CHARLES FAYNE SPICKARD

GUNNER SERGEANT OSCAR WILLIAM HOUSER

GUNNER  SERGEANT REXFORD HARWELL RHODES

RADIO OPERATOR SERGEANT WAYNEWORTH EVANSON NELSON

GUNNER SERGEANT HAROLD CLEVURN CARTER

GUNNER SERGEANT ROY ELTON HUGHES

GUNNER SERGEANT JOHN ALOYSIUS GOLDBACH

 

THE GUNNER OF THE B-24J LIBERATOR who survived was

SERGEANT RAYMOND A. NOURY

 

DEDICATED  BY THE CITIZENS OF NEPOMUK 22.2.1997

Commemorates:

People:

Joseph Frederick  Altemus

Harold Cleburn  Carter

George Marvin “Skipper” Jr. Goddard

John Aloysius “Goldy”  Goldbach

Oscar William  Houser

Haig “Kandy” Kandarian

Wayneworth Evenson “Lord Nelson” Nelson

Raymond A  Noury

Rexford Harwell  Rhodes

Charles Fayne Jr. Spickard

Units:

15th Air Force

343rd Bomber Squadron, 98th Bomber Group

47th Bomber Wing

98th Bomber Group

United States Air Force

Wars:

WWII

Battles:

Big Week (Operation Argument)

Other images :