On July 21, 1944, the B-24 '' Final Approach '' (Tail Number 42-78432), 736th Bombardment Squadron, 454th Bomb Group , 15th Air Force took off from San Giovanni as part of Mission 66 to bomb the Brux Synthetic Oil Refinery in Czechoslovakia.
It was shot down by flak and crashed by Radovesice.
Pilot 2/Lt Lieutenant Leon Polinsky, flight engineer T/sergeant Tunis Gaalswyk and radio operator T/sergeant Robert Finley died in the crash.
Co/Pilot - 2/Lt Eben Tilman, Navigator - 2nd Lieutenant Charles Denbo, Tail Gunner - Sgt Martin S. Kerby, Waist Gunner - Sgt Colby Davis, Ball Turrett Gunner - Sgt J. Middleton, Gunner - Sgt P. Maudin , Gunner - Sgt W. Long could jump and were captured.
These informations come from the geocatching.com site.
Tunis Gaalswyk and Robert Finley remains were so unindentifiable that they were inhumed together in 1950 at Mac Fort Mc Pherson National Cemetary, Maxwell, Nebraska after repatriation.
I was given in 1994 a file presumately coming from the estate of Robert Finley's relatives containing various informations and documents about his military service. Notably, there was a V-Mail he wrote to his family. What is poignant is it was written to his mother on July 20, 1944 and the bomber was shot down the next day.
In 2004, the D-Day Memorial at Caen was planning an information campaign called Mémoire du Débarquement (D-Day Memories) for the 60th anniversary and had asked for pictures and written documents and testimonies pertaining to the Normandy battle time span from persons involved into these events. I gave them various pictures and documents to be exposed in the museum exposition. Notably this V-Mail, was much appreciated by the Memorial staff : they were glad to accept because they had no example of a vintage V-Mail written by a service member. I think this is one of the most honorable place it could be exposed in to honor his sacrifice. Althought it can at first seem surprizing to have a document connected to the 15th Air Force bombers in Italy, at a museum dedicated to the D-Day, the 454th Bomb Group is credited for the Normandy – Northern France campaign (they contributed to bomb raids in France).
It was shot down by flak and crashed by Radovesice.
Pilot 2/Lt Lieutenant Leon Polinsky, flight engineer T/sergeant Tunis Gaalswyk and radio operator T/sergeant Robert Finley died in the crash.
Co/Pilot - 2/Lt Eben Tilman, Navigator - 2nd Lieutenant Charles Denbo, Tail Gunner - Sgt Martin S. Kerby, Waist Gunner - Sgt Colby Davis, Ball Turrett Gunner - Sgt J. Middleton, Gunner - Sgt P. Maudin , Gunner - Sgt W. Long could jump and were captured.
These informations come from the geocatching.com site.
Tunis Gaalswyk and Robert Finley remains were so unindentifiable that they were inhumed together in 1950 at Mac Fort Mc Pherson National Cemetary, Maxwell, Nebraska after repatriation.
I was given in 1994 a file presumately coming from the estate of Robert Finley's relatives containing various informations and documents about his military service. Notably, there was a V-Mail he wrote to his family. What is poignant is it was written to his mother on July 20, 1944 and the bomber was shot down the next day.
In 2004, the D-Day Memorial at Caen was planning an information campaign called Mémoire du Débarquement (D-Day Memories) for the 60th anniversary and had asked for pictures and written documents and testimonies pertaining to the Normandy battle time span from persons involved into these events. I gave them various pictures and documents to be exposed in the museum exposition. Notably this V-Mail, was much appreciated by the Memorial staff : they were glad to accept because they had no example of a vintage V-Mail written by a service member. I think this is one of the most honorable place it could be exposed in to honor his sacrifice. Althought it can at first seem surprizing to have a document connected to the 15th Air Force bombers in Italy, at a museum dedicated to the D-Day, the 454th Bomb Group is credited for the Normandy – Northern France campaign (they contributed to bomb raids in France).
Attachments
Last edited:
