USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

HI all,

I am looking for info whether
Robert F. Cunningham
Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # O-717756
778th Bomber Squadron, 464th Bomber Group, Heavy
Entered the Service from: Missouri
Died: 17-Oct-44
Buried at: Plot C Row 8 Grave 37
Ardennes American Cemetery
Neupre, Belgium
Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart

was found and/or exhumed in Austria postwar.
He jumped out of his plane, chute opened and there ends the track :(
Plane crashed near Zohor , Slovakia, which is close to NE Austrian border. Possibly he was directed by wind to Austria and died there?
Any info would be appreciated

THANKS

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Hello,

MACR 9195, 464BG, 778BS. 42-51964, white "A", "Old Brown Nose"
Observed after Target with fire in bomb bay, in a controlled glide. 8 chutes seen but time before a/c exploded for others to abandonthe a/c.
Crashed near Zohor, across the danube from Vienna, 2 crew buried by local church.
Mission 107, Vienna, South Ordinnance Depot.

Rfs: 464BG website and Joe Baughers lists.

Alex

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

OK Alex, but nothing new, just info for others.
As I said, Cunningham was seen to bail out, succesfully oopened the parachute but was NOT captured with others, and was NOT listed among Daeth, or exhumed postwars in Czechoslovakia as unknown body.
Crash site is on the Slovak Austrian border, so I assume we could have been killed/buried in Austria or landed in Morava river and drawned?

so back to my question:
I am looking for info whether Robert F. Cunningham was found dead and/or exhumed in Austria postwar.

Thanks

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Peter,

Perhaps you're familiar with this website http://www.zplace2b.com/464th/jbabincak.htm dealing with said crew and crash.
Story says that two bodies were recovered in Slovakia, Fassnacht and Haigh.

Website wwiimemorial gives FOD (Finding of Death) for Robert Cunningham and not KIA. This may indicate that Cunningham was missing first, but was only found at a later date.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Thanks, I am familiar with the page and also know the man Jan Babincak :)
thanks for FOD info....so possibly drowned or executed on ground?
story still opened.

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Hello Peter,
After the war the next of kin would have been contacted with regard to his remains being removed from the earlier grave and reburied in Belgium. There should be documents of this event including the choice if NOK wished return of remains to the USA.
Alex

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Thanks Alex.
I already tried ABMC, but they do not list such details for interned persons.
Will try somewhere else..will inform once get info :)

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Peter,

To receive more info about the airman and what happened after he was found deceased, you may request a copy of his Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) under the Freedom of Information Act. Mention the FIA explicitely.

Write to U.S. Army Human Resources Command, 200 Stovall Street, Alexandria, VA 22332-0400, USA.
Add at least a small, but clear explanation why you're interested, especially when you're not a relative.

More info perhaps also with National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100.

It may take a few weeks before they answer, but the IDPF can be quite explanatory.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: USAAF airman exhumed in Austria?
 

Thank, I will try Leendert.