Staff Sergeant Hill served with the 716th
Bomb Squadron, 449th Bomb Group during
World War II.
Departing Italy on a mission to strike the
oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Austria, on
March 1st, 1945, B-24J Liberator #44-41218
was shot down by flak over Acstezar, Hungary.
One crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth C. Rost,
was killed aboard the plane by the flak hit.
The remaining crew bailed out and survived
the parachuting to ground.
Although Hungary had surrendered to the
United Nations in January of 1945, members
of a voluntary Hungarian SS Panzer corps,
aligned with the German Reich, took captive
the American air crew.
The following day, the SS guards executed
seven of the eight airmen who had
surrendered.
Only the Navigator on this bombing mission
survived; he had landed in another region and
was captured by a different force.
In October, 1945, a grave was found
containing the bodies of some of the men.
It was found in a wooded area near the village
of Sur.
They had been stripped of their uniforms. They
were only clad in underwear.
Six SS officers were put on trial for war crimes.
Four were convicted and sentenced to hang,
and two were imprisoned for life for the
shooting of the surrendered and unarmed
young American fliers.
The crew members lost on this mission:
1st Lt. William R Farrington, pilot
2nd Lt. Warren F Ames
2nd Lt. John P Knox
T/Sgt. Donald P Brown
T/Sgt. Felix D Kozekowski
S/Sgt. James F Bradley
S/Sgt. Hubert R Burnette
S/Sgt. Preston J. Hill
S/Sgt. Kenneth C Rost
Bomb Squadron, 449th Bomb Group during
World War II.
Departing Italy on a mission to strike the
oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Austria, on
March 1st, 1945, B-24J Liberator #44-41218
was shot down by flak over Acstezar, Hungary.
One crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth C. Rost,
was killed aboard the plane by the flak hit.
The remaining crew bailed out and survived
the parachuting to ground.
Although Hungary had surrendered to the
United Nations in January of 1945, members
of a voluntary Hungarian SS Panzer corps,
aligned with the German Reich, took captive
the American air crew.
The following day, the SS guards executed
seven of the eight airmen who had
surrendered.
Only the Navigator on this bombing mission
survived; he had landed in another region and
was captured by a different force.
In October, 1945, a grave was found
containing the bodies of some of the men.
It was found in a wooded area near the village
of Sur.
They had been stripped of their uniforms. They
were only clad in underwear.
Six SS officers were put on trial for war crimes.
Four were convicted and sentenced to hang,
and two were imprisoned for life for the
shooting of the surrendered and unarmed
young American fliers.
The crew members lost on this mission:
1st Lt. William R Farrington, pilot
2nd Lt. Warren F Ames
2nd Lt. John P Knox
T/Sgt. Donald P Brown
T/Sgt. Felix D Kozekowski
S/Sgt. James F Bradley
S/Sgt. Hubert R Burnette
S/Sgt. Preston J. Hill
S/Sgt. Kenneth C Rost
Staff Sergeant Hill served with the 716th
Bomb Squadron, 449th Bomb Group during
World War II.
Departing Italy on a mission to strike the
oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Austria, on
March 1st, 1945, B-24J Liberator #44-41218
was shot down by flak over Acstezar, Hungary.
One crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth C. Rost,
was killed aboard the plane by the flak hit.
The remaining crew bailed out and survived
the parachuting to ground.
Although Hungary had surrendered to the
United Nations in January of 1945, members
of a voluntary Hungarian SS Panzer corps,
aligned with the German Reich, took captive
the American air crew.
The following day, the SS guards executed
seven of the eight airmen who had
surrendered.
Only the Navigator on this bombing mission
survived; he had landed in another region and
was captured by a different force.
In October, 1945, a grave was found
containing the bodies of some of the men.
It was found in a wooded area near the village
of Sur.
They had been stripped of their uniforms. They
were only clad in underwear.
Six SS officers were put on trial for war crimes.
Four were convicted and sentenced to hang,
and two were imprisoned for life for the
shooting of the surrendered and unarmed
young American fliers.
The crew members lost on this mission:
1st Lt. William R Farrington, pilot
2nd Lt. Warren F Ames
2nd Lt. John P Knox
T/Sgt. Donald P Brown
T/Sgt. Felix D Kozekowski
S/Sgt. James F Bradley
S/Sgt. Hubert R Burnette
S/Sgt. Preston J. Hill
S/Sgt. Kenneth C Rost
Bomb Squadron, 449th Bomb Group during
World War II.
Departing Italy on a mission to strike the
oil refineries at Moosbierbaum, Austria, on
March 1st, 1945, B-24J Liberator #44-41218
was shot down by flak over Acstezar, Hungary.
One crew member, S/Sgt. Kenneth C. Rost,
was killed aboard the plane by the flak hit.
The remaining crew bailed out and survived
the parachuting to ground.
Although Hungary had surrendered to the
United Nations in January of 1945, members
of a voluntary Hungarian SS Panzer corps,
aligned with the German Reich, took captive
the American air crew.
The following day, the SS guards executed
seven of the eight airmen who had
surrendered.
Only the Navigator on this bombing mission
survived; he had landed in another region and
was captured by a different force.
In October, 1945, a grave was found
containing the bodies of some of the men.
It was found in a wooded area near the village
of Sur.
They had been stripped of their uniforms. They
were only clad in underwear.
Six SS officers were put on trial for war crimes.
Four were convicted and sentenced to hang,
and two were imprisoned for life for the
shooting of the surrendered and unarmed
young American fliers.
The crew members lost on this mission:
1st Lt. William R Farrington, pilot
2nd Lt. Warren F Ames
2nd Lt. John P Knox
T/Sgt. Donald P Brown
T/Sgt. Felix D Kozekowski
S/Sgt. James F Bradley
S/Sgt. Hubert R Burnette
S/Sgt. Preston J. Hill
S/Sgt. Kenneth C Rost
Inscription
Sgt 716th Squadron 15th Air Force WWII
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