Richard H. Cunningham was born in Massachusetts. He served in the 785th Bomber Squadron, 466th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Radio Operator of B-24H #41-29593 nicknamed "Little Rebel," during World War II.

On April 15, 1945, the Little Rebel, piloted by 2nd Lt. Joseph J. Devlin, took off from RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, on an operational mission against German positions in France. The Liberator was reportedly carrying napalm incendiary bombs intended for enemy troop installations. Shortly after takeoff, however, the heavily loaded aircraft encountered trouble, failed to maintain its climb, and crashed near Mattishall, Norfolk, only a short distance from its home base. The crash was not the result of enemy action, as Little Rebel never reached enemy territory. The accident resulted in several fatalities among the crew, while the surviving crewmen escaped the wreck.

Sgt Cunningham was among the crew members who were killed in the loss of the aircraft. Currently, we don't have details about his burial location.

Sources of information: americanarchive.iwm.org.uk, ulturepics.org