Group (Very Heavy), 20th Air Force, World War II.
Left Gunner aboard B-29-50-BW Superfortress
#42-24849 "Mission to Albuquerque."
His aircraft was fondly nicknamed "St. Bernard"
for escorting battle torn bombers back to Saipan
on numerous occasions from Japan.
On a mission over Kobe March 17, 1945, the B-29
was rammed by a Ki-61 Tony fighter and crashed
at the summit of Mount Futatabisan, Chuo-ku,
Kobe.
Nine crew members were Killed In Action. Two
crew members Lt Nelson and SSgt Augunas parachuted from the plane and were captured and held as prisoners. On July 18, 1945, both airmen were executed by the Japanese.
The crew KIA were:
Maj. Robert J FitzGerald, A/C Pilot
2nd Lt. Robert E Copeland, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. James C Bond, Flight Engineer
1st Lt. Erwin A Brousek, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Robert W Nelson, Navigator
Sgt. David W Holley, CFC Gunner
SSgt. Algy S Augunas, Radio Operator
Sgt. John T Barry, Right Gunner
Sgt. John L. Cutler, Left Gunner
SSgt. Robert D Cookson, Radar Operator
Sgt. Ruben A Wray, Tail Gunner
Son of Iva H. Cutler, Jasper, Ohio.
Re-interred here September 27, 1949.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Group (Very Heavy), 20th Air Force, World War II.
Left Gunner aboard B-29-50-BW Superfortress
#42-24849 "Mission to Albuquerque."
His aircraft was fondly nicknamed "St. Bernard"
for escorting battle torn bombers back to Saipan
on numerous occasions from Japan.
On a mission over Kobe March 17, 1945, the B-29
was rammed by a Ki-61 Tony fighter and crashed
at the summit of Mount Futatabisan, Chuo-ku,
Kobe.
Nine crew members were Killed In Action. Two
crew members Lt Nelson and SSgt Augunas parachuted from the plane and were captured and held as prisoners. On July 18, 1945, both airmen were executed by the Japanese.
The crew KIA were:
Maj. Robert J FitzGerald, A/C Pilot
2nd Lt. Robert E Copeland, Co-Pilot
1st Lt. James C Bond, Flight Engineer
1st Lt. Erwin A Brousek, Bombardier
2nd Lt. Robert W Nelson, Navigator
Sgt. David W Holley, CFC Gunner
SSgt. Algy S Augunas, Radio Operator
Sgt. John T Barry, Right Gunner
Sgt. John L. Cutler, Left Gunner
SSgt. Robert D Cookson, Radar Operator
Sgt. Ruben A Wray, Tail Gunner
Son of Iva H. Cutler, Jasper, Ohio.
Re-interred here September 27, 1949.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gravesite Details
ASN 35654602
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement