jasonmchenry
Airman
My Grandfather was Harry L. Cunningham and he was captured as a POW and held in Stalag 17b after his plane the Bum's Rush was shot down. I have the MACR and all the readily available info relating to the event. I had made a few posts about my Grandfather and was eventually contacted by some terrific Italian folks [headed by Matteo Migliorait] who live in the same small town where the Bum's Rush crash landed. The people in the town were instrumental in assisting the downed crew in evading capture and they eventually ended up safely in Switzerland.
Matteo has been fascinated by the event his whole life and he was working on a film about the Bum's Rush and the events of the time and that's how he found me. This plaque is now on the church in the town where the Bum's Rush went down:
Should that image link not work [and even if it does] I made a longer post about the whole thing here:
View: http://jasonwentcrazy.tumblr.com/post/143994744243/bums-rush
The Bum's Rush [sometimes spelled Bomb's Rush and Bumb's Rush] was a part of the 99th Bomb Group and it flew out of the Airbase in Oudna, Tunisia for a target in Mestre, Italy.
Some of the technical info is as follows:
B-17F 42-30474 "Bum's Rush"
Shot Down: October 6, 1943 [Original post had a typo of 42]
MACR #929
Staff Sergeant Harrison 'Harry' Lejeune Cunningham
ASN: 37384700
SSN: 495-18-8038
Born: 11 Oct 1921
Died: November 2, 1980
Enlisted: 17 Sep 1942
Released/Liberated: October 12, 1945
Released from Service: 13 Oct 1945
I am especially looking for any family of the Bum's Rush crew but we would love to know if anyone has any additional info outside of the MACR. Photos and stories and anything really.
Thanks in advance for your time.
Matteo has been fascinated by the event his whole life and he was working on a film about the Bum's Rush and the events of the time and that's how he found me. This plaque is now on the church in the town where the Bum's Rush went down:
Should that image link not work [and even if it does] I made a longer post about the whole thing here:
View: http://jasonwentcrazy.tumblr.com/post/143994744243/bums-rush
The Bum's Rush [sometimes spelled Bomb's Rush and Bumb's Rush] was a part of the 99th Bomb Group and it flew out of the Airbase in Oudna, Tunisia for a target in Mestre, Italy.
Some of the technical info is as follows:
B-17F 42-30474 "Bum's Rush"
Shot Down: October 6, 1943 [Original post had a typo of 42]
MACR #929
Staff Sergeant Harrison 'Harry' Lejeune Cunningham
ASN: 37384700
SSN: 495-18-8038
Born: 11 Oct 1921
Died: November 2, 1980
Enlisted: 17 Sep 1942
Released/Liberated: October 12, 1945
Released from Service: 13 Oct 1945
I am especially looking for any family of the Bum's Rush crew but we would love to know if anyone has any additional info outside of the MACR. Photos and stories and anything really.
Thanks in advance for your time.
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