On the south side of the crossroad.

Monument

The monument is a concrete block that looks like a table topped by 2 black plaques placed by family members of Musial and Slenker and then a propeller blade. On the front side of the monument are 2 plaques listing the crew members’ names, age, death date, and their roles in the airplane. The inscription is written in French. The memorial was erected by the organization which was founded by Paul Delahaye. It was called the Belgo-Americain Foundation when the Susan Ruth Memorial was erected. After Paul died in 2013, the name was changed to Devoir de Mémoire de Momignies-Chimay. The name “Susan Ruth” was given to the aircraft by Pilot Howard Snyder in honor of his wife and their young daughter. 

On February 8, 1944, the B-17 Susan Ruth was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgian border. Two of the crew were killed during the attack, but the other 8 crew members were able to bail out. Three of the crew were picked up by the Germans and became POWs. 1Lt Snyder was aided by members of the Belgian underground and evaded capture. S/Sgt Slenker who was wounded and bailed out, was sheltered by the Collet family in Chimay and later liberated by Patton’s 1st Army. The three other members, 1Lt Benninger, 1Lt Eike, and Sgt Pindroch, eventually met up with five other airmen from three other downed B-17s, who with the aid of local partisans built a makeshift hut in the woods outside of Chimay, Belgium. The airmen were taken care of by members of the Belgian Underground while they waited to get into escape networks to get back to England. Unfortunately, a Belgian collaborator told the Germans about them and they were captured, interrogated, taken back into the woods, and murdered on April 22, 1944. Two young Belgian men who were helping them were sent to concentration camps in Germany never to be heard from again.

Source of information and photos: Steve Snyder

First plaque: 

LE 8 FEVRIER 1944 

ICI S 'ECRASA LA FORTERESSE 

SUSAN RUTH 

PILOTE C H SNYDER 27 ans 

CO PILOTE G EIKE 23 ans 

♰  S REMY 22 04 44 

NAVIGATEUR R BENNINGER 21 ans 

♰  S REMY 22 04 44

MITRAILLEUR D J PENDROCH 19 ans 

♰  S REMY 22 04 44

MITRAILLEUR I R KAHLER 28 ans

English Translation: 

ON FEBRUARY 8, 1944

THE FORTRESS CRASHED HERE

SUSAN RUTH

 PILOT C H SNYDER 27 years old

 CO PILOT G EIKE 23 years old

 DIED ON 22 04 44 

NAVIGATOR R BENNINGER 21 years old 

DIED ON 22 04 44

MACHINE GUNNER D J PENDROCH 19 years old 

DIED ON 22 04 44

MACHINE GUNNER I R KAHLER 28 years old

Second plaque: 

BOMBARDIER R DANIELS 23 ans

♰ 1987

MITRAILLEUR T R HOLBERT 22 ans

MITRAILLEUR G J MUSIAL 25 ans

MITRAILLEUR O W SLENKER 19 ans

MACOUENOISE 27 AOU 1989

English Translation: 

BOMBARDIER R DANIELS 23 years old

DIED IN 1987

GUNNER T R HOLBERT 22 years old

GUNNER G J MUSIAL 25 years

MACHINE GUNNER O W SLENKER 19 years old

MACOUENOISE AUG 27, 1989