ISOB Campbell and Ragland Memorial
Details:
Grave site: 04 C 0018
The memorial is a propeller from the crashed B-24 mounted on an inscribed base; two gravestones stand on either side of the monument.
The memorial remembers two crew members killed on B-24 (43-30619 with Civilian Registration NC 18618) on October 20, 1944 while supporting Project Sonnie. Project Sonnie, led by the Norwegian-American Bernt Balchen, supported by Operation Carpetbagger aircraft, was a secret mission to transport Norwegian Resistance Fighters and downed US Airmen to the UK.
On October 20, 1944, B-24 (43-30619) was part the Project Sonnie mission when it crashed in Alingsås, Sweden killing all six crewmembers. The Crewmembers were buried with honors on November 1, 1944 in the Eastern Cemetery in Malmö, Sweden. Over 40 US Airmen were buried in the cemetery during the war, and all but Campbell and Ragland were repatriated to US Cemeteries after the war. The graves of Captain Campbell and Tech Sergeant Ragland remain today maintained by Sweden.
A memorial in Alingsås, Sweden remembers the mission and the sacrifice of the crew.
See Site Alingsås, Flygmonumentet (Project Sonnie) memorial for more background on incident.
Special thanks to Lars Gyllenhaal, author of "200 svenska sevärdheter från andra världskriget (200 Swedish WWII Sights)” for assistance with this memorial
And to
www.flygmonumentet.se/e for information about the burials.
Monument Text:
The text on the monument and graves are in English and read:
Monument:
U.S.A.A.F.
Duty called them
to God and Country
They rest in peace while
memory of their sacrifice
is written in eternal glory
ISOB Campbell:
USAAF
Capt. Thomas C.Campbell.
Born 16 May - 1920
Died 20 October 1944
ISOB Ragland:
USAAF
T Sgt Oakley J.Ragland Jr
Born 1 March - 1923
Died 20 October 1944
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
1409th Army Air Force Base Unit
Air Transport Command
Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
OSS
United States Air Force
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII
Battles:
Operation Carpetbagger
Project Sonnie
Other images :